Vermillion's Tail
by smilingcoffee
Summary: Clarion Ferez is a descendant of Mavis Vermillion, was raised by the "evil" Mage, Zeref, and a former Grimoire Heart member. How much would things change after joining Fairy Tail and becoming close to new people? What secrets does she really hold? Follow Clarion as she goes through balancing, confusion, identity, love... etc
1. Chapter 1: PROLOGUE

**LET ME START OFF BY SAYING I AM SOOOOO SORRY FOR REDOING THIS PROLOGUE AGAIN... It isn't much different except that I change the properties of her magic to something more simple and also added an important trinket. You do not have to reread this again and I had her magic bold so you can easily read that part if you wish. Her secondary magic is still the same.**

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><p><em>It was a split moment, but I can picture it so perfectly. That one memory has the ability to reply itself in my head as if I could relive it again and again. I have always hated myself for being able to think back that far in my life. I can't exactly remember how old I was or when exactly it all took place, but it was so clear.<em>

_"Help!" I yelled with choking tears and the tone of fear in my voice. I kept repeated that cry for assistance over and over. With each yell, it slowly turned into whispers of pathetic effort to save myself._

_It was so dark, so scary. I had debris and rubble all around me. As I was running, a nearby building collapsed on top of me. Out of sheer luck, the tumbling rocks missed my body, however, I was closed off from everything. I couldn't tell what was outside of me or what was going on. For hours, I was hearing screams and cries of the other townspeople. None of them seemed to hear me. Perhaps this experience is what triggered my claustrophobia. Ever since this time, I have always seem to hyperventilate and have a higher heart beat whenever I find myself closed off from the outside world._

_As I felt like there was no hope for me, I felt a ray of light across my eyes. The sunlight was shining through the rocks and they were moving. Somebody was moving away the pile of rocks away from me. I didn't care who it was, I embraced whoever it is with my arms around their neck._

_"You.. look like-," I didn't make out the person he mentioned, but at that time I didn't care. "Vermillion..."_

_"H-How did you know my last name?" He wiped away my tears._

_"I've known someone from your family," he said. "She is very special to me."_

_"Who?"_

_"I'll tell you one day," he held me up in his arms and proceeded to walk away from the scene. Looking around, it looked like nothing survived that attacked us. Everything was either burnt to a crisp or turned into a pile of useless junk. I held the person closer. "Let me help you be stronger..."_

_"Stronger...," I repeated him. "What will I do?"_

_"Protect others," he told me. "And protect yourself."_

_For years, this man had taught me everything about survival. I learned how to use magic and how to fight with it. He always told me that my ancestor had a vast amount of magic and being taught under him, would mean I would be extremely powerful. I never understood 'power' at that time, but he seemed like he wanted me to be a good person. He was very kind to me._

_As of kind of defensive magic, he taught me **Lock Magic**. It was a strange ability that had me be able to lock away other people's magic attacks. If it is not a physical attack I can seal away an attack and leave it at my disposal when I unlock it. Though, this was all I could do. I have been told that if I fight hard enough, I can lock away someone's magic entirely. Since he was always so protective of me, I was also taught close combat just in case my opponent focused on physical attacks and what not._

_As a secondary magic, though I didn't really have to learn anything, I was given 7 miniature padlocks that can open to my touch and command. **Devil Spirit Magic**, he called it. It is like Celestial Spirit Magic. By opening any lock, a devil spirit will be summoned from their Devil world unlike spirits who reside in the Spirit World. Each of my devil spirits have their own magic which are to aid me in battle or protect me from danger. Though, I never really liked using them cause I hate it when I have to rely on others._

_Lucifer, Mammon, Asmodeus, Amon, Leviathan, Beezlebub, and Belphegor were to serve under me as my guardians. Quite ironic since they aren't really 'angels'._

_I used them a lot when I was younger, but after awhile, I slowly began to stop. It was probably because I had a strive to be more independent and self-sufficient. Besides, I hated it when other peoples fight my battles for me._

_Every now and then, he would always remind me how I should always try to get stronger to defend myself. In addition to that, he occasionally tells me that he won't always be there for me. I never really understood that since he told me that he would be there to protect me, so he sort of contradicts himself from time to time. I never really thought much of it... until the day it actually happened._

_All I had left of him was a necklace I always wore. I never let anything happen to it. It was a silver circle, similar to the one he wore. This little trinket always made me feel a little bit more safer._

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><p>He suddenly disappeared. I would always wait for him at the place where we resided at, which was an edge of a forest which was practically deserted from other people. Though, I couldn't wait any longer and I decided to find him myself.<p>

"Clarion-chan...," Lucifer said walking beside me. "Are you sad?"

"No."

I went my own way from that day on. He never told me where he was going and he never told me when he would return. I knew one way or another that we will see each other again someday. In my heart, he is still there for me when I need to feel protected. He has done so much for me, despite everything he claims to be. He looked down on himself so much.. calling himself a bad person and all. But I didn't let it affect my judgement on him. He saved me from dying alone and I will forever be grateful for it and I won't stop until I give him the proper return for it.

Though, where am I suppose to look first?

At this time, I believe, I was walking along a shoreline. I don't really remember why, but perhaps the first I should start was the outer edge of the continent then work my way in. Not the best plan, but I had to start somewhere. It was then that I gigantic aircraft suddenly lowered itself next to me.

It was large, grim looking, and very eerie if you ask me. Emerging from the ship was a tall old man with a long beard and a superior looking attire. He had an eye patch too, I thought it was cool.

"So, the rumors are true," he took the initiative to speak first. "Are you the child of the Dark Mage, Zeref?"

"I am not his child...," I looked down on the sandy beach. "I am his student... he was my guardian..."

"Are you lonely?"

"No."

"Do you wish to see him?" My eyes brightened and I looked up at the strange man. He turned away from me and proceeded to walk back into the ship. "Follow me child, my guild's objective is to unseal the mighty Zeref from his slumber."

"Slumber?" I thought.

"He has been sealed away and must be freed through keys that we collect. Your presence would be an honor Miss..."

"... Clarion... Ferez," I introduced myself to him.

"I am Master Hades, child. Come."

Grimoire Heart was my new home, my new life, my new... family of a sort. However, I had always been secluded from the others. Even though Hades had 7 other adopted children, I never considered myself such and I am pretty sure he didn't think of me as a daughter. I always fought and clashed with the 7 Kin of Purgatory and even with the commander, Bluenote. I simply couldn't stand anyone here and I can never get along with any of them. I didn't really understand why I stayed with them. Though, I knew that Grimoire Heart was my closest thing to finding him and I had to stick with it no matter how much I disliked it here.

I felt so suffocated. Hades never even let me off the ship... and I had faced the consequences so many times whenever I tried to. The longer I stayed, the longer I felt like I was trapped.

I couldn't use my Devil Spirit Magic either... who knows what they would do if they found out I had that kind of magic... Though, one day, I'll find my way out.

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><p><strong>Thank you for the alerts and favorites and reviews! I will try hard to get this going! I hope I won't take too long... which I probably would... ): I love you all my lovelies! I hope I didn't make her seem so OP... <strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Face Down

**Hello my lovelies, thank you so much for the favorites and alerts! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope I didn't seem to rush it... I just REALLY want to get to post-time skip part. Cause... that's my favorite part of this multi-chap story... excuse if the 'timing' of the Tenrou Island arc seems a bit off.. you know, it's been awhile...  
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**WARNING: RATED T BECAUSE OF MY OC'S POTTY MOUTH!  
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><p>It's been so long since something 'exciting' sort of happened. For years, I was always cooped up in the airship and the other members were always out there collecting keys or whatever it is. I never really paid attention to their goals and what not except for the releasing Zeref thing. Blah, blah, blah, I just wanted to fight and stuff.<p>

"Infiltrate Tenrou Island... eliminate Fairy Tail... and collect the key to Zeref's freedom," I repeated towards myself as I walked along the halls of the Grimoire Heart airship.

Hades revealed this plan of his recently and I couldn't help but replay that sort of intent in my head. I knew that he had some issue he had with this guild, Fairy Tail, but I could never get my tongue on it... and why did this Fairy thing name seem so familiar? Ugh, thinking too much isn't my thing.

I felt like I was in a coffin of my room. I was ordered by Ultear, the eldest of the 7 Kin of Purgatory, to stay in my room. Fuck that shit, I'm going to get the hell out of here. Suddenly there was a boom and the airship was tipping over and descending to the sea below.

"What the hell?" I thought as I looked out of the window. I saw a giant... a monster. I noticed that... that thing was going to land another attack and I took this opportunity. He managed to snag a part of my room to leave a small opening. Chance! Squeezing through the wall, I was free falling to the ocean. Looking back up, I noticed the ship was returning back to normal: Ultear's Time Arc of course.

Splashing in the cool water was incredible. I felt so free and lively and away from that grim prison.

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><p>"Master Hades," the goat of the kin, Caprico, called out after returning from the sleeping quarters.<p>

"Hm?" he responded, but without looking at him. "Is something wrong?"

"Clarion-sama is not in her room," he said in a cool demeanor.

"Hmm...," he paused for a moment. "No matter, she is no use to us. Poach her along with the other fairies."

He never considered me as such. They just took me in because I had a close connection with Zeref. Perhaps they believed that I would somehow know the way to release Zeref from this so-called slumber seal. But I guess, after realizing that I had no intentions of telling them anything if I knew anything, they would just treat me like how they treat anyone else.

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><p>...<p>

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PLACE?" I screamed out loud. All there were are bushes, trees, rocks, weird creatures and I was already getting tired of this vacation. I was bored out of my mind and I was just walking everywhere. I was always quite impatient, nothing exciting was going on. But, out of no where, I felt some sort of magic power nearby. It felt... sweet, nurturing, familiar... my body drifted towards the direction of this magic sense.

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><p>Popping out of the trees, I saw four people. Some pink-haired guy, a large guy, and this girl and... this... other person. Looking around the area, I saw the dead trees and the smell of death lingering in the air. This was a sight just like years ago when I was young... often, I would see dead vegetation... dead animals... so frequently... so often.<p>

"You've... really grown...," the sound of his voice. The same as always... it was so nostalgic that I felt chills just by hearing it. "I've been wanting to see you, Natsu."

Natsu? Noticing the pink-haired guy's reaction, that was him. I sensed hositility in him and I was right. He lunged forward for an attack and managed to get him in the face. I kind of got ticked, but Zeref quickly got on his feet without a scratch on him. Looking at him closely, he had tears. I've never seen him cry back then.. but I always knew he always felt sad.

"Ru-run..." he was holding onto his head as if he was trying to contain something within. I've seen this so many times too. He hasn't changed at all. When he does this, things... die for some reason... except for me.

"EVERYONE GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Natsu yelled.

A black wave, that death wave appeared. My instincts took over and I fell over the cliff I was on and went between Natsu and the wave. The others in the area managed to get away and I had to save this guy from this power. Like always, for some reason, I would never be affected by this sort of power Zeref had. Everything alive would die around him... except me. Why was that? I knew that he was protective of me, but what made me so immune? Not complaining or anything...

"Natssuuuu!" a blue, flying cat appearing above looking over us.

"Wh-Who are..."

"He disappeared!"

I frowned noticing that Zeref was gone. I looked back at the Natsu guy and noticed his white scarf turned black. He seemed to forget my presence for awhile since he seemed more worked up about his muffler.

"Give it to me, I can turn it back... I think," I was unsure and pretty much bluffing. But the fact that the death wave can turn a scarf intrigued me. I never seen this kind of thing before.

"Who are you?" he said handing it over. Geez, he was really trustworthy. Holding the scale embroidered scarf, I could sense that this wasn't any ordinary piece of clothing. This was charmed in a way that can protect others. Perhaps it had the same properties as my necklace. It made sense. Ever since I knew Zeref, he gave me this necklace to always wear. He would get made for a little if I were to take it off.

"Natsu, can you really trust her?"

"Elfman, Evergreen.. you should go. We are still enemies when the exam is still on."

"But... we should at least know who this person is. While there are outside people here, it'll interfere with the exam. As a man.. I CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN."

"Here," by holding onto the scarf, I managed to get the Black magic out of the scarf.

"HOHO! IGNEEL'S SCARF IS BACK! THANK YOU!" he embraced me much to the surprise of his teammates, never really had affection before too which was strange. I punched him away. Elfman and Evergreen left seeing how they had no purpose to stay.

"Why is he on this island?" I questioned him.

"Who the hell are you first of all?" he held onto his cheek to ease the pain I gave.

"Clarion Ferez, I am connected with that guy just now. I'm not an enemy."

"Natsu Dragneel, SOON TO BE S-CLASS MAGE OF FAIRY TAIL!" he fist pumped the air in pride. Sweat drop moment. "Anyways, Clarion, I don't know that guy. I don't know why he is on our sacred land. But, we can't allow intruders."

"Fine, I'll get him off this island but-"

Looking past Natsu, I saw floating orange balls with people inside. More members of Grimorie Heart are descending on the island... including the 7 Kin of Purgatory. According to the plan, the S-Class trials were in session. The powerful members of the Fairy Tail guild were their target. They were in trouble.

"You have to trust me on this, Natsu...," he listened closer. "You will have hell rain down on you, I'll help you guys out. Be safe."

"Wait what? Happy and I have to find our Master's grave!"

"This isn't the time for that! Grimoire Heart is attacking this island!"

"But Natsu needs to find 1st Master Mavis' grave to be an S-class Mage," the cat said.

"But-," I paused. "Wait what did you say? Mavis? Mavis Vermillion?"

Natsu and Happy stared at me for a moment in confusion. I could tell from their faces that they were thinking the same thing. How did I know their founder? How did I know their 1st? How did I know this?

"What connection do you have with us?" Natsu went into his serious face. But I trembled.

"I... have to go."

I left the scene, my heart beat racing. I didn't know where to run to, but I couldn't face any member of Fairy Tail now. Zeref told me once, but I remember it. He told me that the person he knew from my family, Mavis, was a powerful Master of a guild. She founded a guild, but he never told me the name of that guild. Her grave is on this island. Her spirit is in the members. Mavis Vermillion... no wonder Zeref came to this island.

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><p>I ran all over the place, just to see if I could sense his Magic like I did last time. It was getting difficult and I was losing hope, but soon enough, I felt it again. I saw a gigantic tree, not at all big as the island itself, and leaning against the trunk... Zeref and...<p>

"Ultear...," no other person had pushed my limit other than Ultear herself. She returned the death glare we gave each other.

"Cl-Cl-Clarion-sama!" Kain, who was with her, almost slipped off his feet when he saw me. I was always the one that punched him whenever he was near me. I never had a great relationship with any of the kin. My fists clenched harder and harder the longer I stared at this bitch.

"Clarion?" Natsu was always here as well, along with another member. She was blonde headed and it seemed like she had a run in with Kain and his stupid little puppet.

"You know her, Natsu?" she asked him.

"Yeah, she helped me out earlier," he turned to her.

"But.. isn't she with those guys too?" I could hear the fear in her voice.

"I'll never have that member stamped onto my body," I strictly kept my glare towards Ultear. She left the Fairy Tail members to Kain and she proceeded to take along Zeref with her. That tears it. Quickly rushing towards her, I punched her in the face which left her falling behind her quite a distance. However, she still held closely to Zeref. But that attack provoked her to start a battle with her.

"Are you really going to do this, Clarion?" Ultear had the look of a killer which she always had done before. Deep down, I feared her. Her deathly instinct could leave my heart beating faster and faster until it would just stop.

"This is something I've always wanted," I said in all honesty.

Turning into a battle stance, I signaled her to come at me. I had to fight for Zeref, no matter the costs. I had to do this. Despite how terrified I am right now, I will be more than happy to tear her apart, hahaha pun.

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><p><strong>I apologize for the shortness, but this was a good time to stop for the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it so far, I hope I get an inspiration boost soon! Love you alls 3<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Giving it All Back

**Thank you for the favorites, reviews, etc! It really brightens my day when I see those emails that somebody enjoyed reading my fanfics! I love you all and I hope you enjoy as always! On a side note, the chapters will have their lengths vary depending on how much my OC appears in the 'episode'. I'll do my best to follow the timeline, because it just irks me when I deviate from it heheh.  
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**Remember that this is rated T for OC's potty mouth! (:  
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><p>It started to sprinkle a little, but that was nothing. I was waiting for Ultear to make the first move, but this sort of battle was difficult. Despite how I tried to hide my fighting abilities, we still knew each others' style. But still, I had to admit to myself, she had the upper hand.<p>

Ultear, after setting aside Zeref to lean against a tree, swiftly sped close to me. Literally, in a blink of an eye, a burst of pain ran through my abdomen as I was physically punched by her. My back landed against another tree and it was on the verge of snapping in half. Ultear was pissed. We both knew well that we had this animosity for one another. Wiping off the drool that came out of my mouth when I gagged from the impact, I went back on my feet. I was physically stronger. But she had the experience and the teachings from Hades for the longest time which made me regret rejecting those lessons years ago. Quite ironic how my defensive attributes is not my best considering that Zeref taught me nothing but defensive strategies.

The eldest member of the 7 Kins took advantage of my moment of breathing and summoned up her lacrima orb. Quickly having them in multiple futures, she flash forward them towards me. I barely managed to lock all, but a few that gave a great amount of damage to my arms when I tried to shield myself. Ultear already knew that being extremely fast was a way to get around my strength and into my thin defense.

"Unlock," I commanded out loud to active my basic attack from my Lock Magic. My silver magic seal appeared out from my hand which released a massive amount of gray magical energy.

"To the future!" She commanded as a simple movement of her hands caused my magic to disappear. She sinisterly laughed. "Even your kind of magic disappears after periods of time."

I cursed to myself as I kept glancing back and forth from an unconscious Zeref and the crazy psycho-bitch. I couldn't pin point an exact kind of magic attack that I locked up that was 'human'. Ultear can bring anything into any time so long as it is not human based. What kind of magic even involves human body parts? This sort of battle never meant to be in play. Ultear and I had magics that can easily cancel out each other, leaving in nothing but a stalemate. That kind of outcome was something both of us don't want to happen. We were both on dead ends, but I had to do something... anything at this point to get Zeref back into my life.

"Everyone knows... especially _you_," my eyes turned into anger.

"What are you talking about?" she mocked me. "_You_ are the one that never lets anybody know anything about you."

"_Everyone_," I grew louder. "Everyone knew how Zeref is important to me."

"Don't be a spoiled brat. Grimoire Heart centers around precious Zeref. We need him for the Great Magical World that has yet to become!"

"Precious? You're using him for your gain only! You're lying you son of a bitch."

**"Zeref is all mine and I'll never give him to anyone."**

I must admit, I had to thank Ultear for that. Because I snapped and completely went into a rage fit. Like any normal human being, emotions can elevate any kind of power. In this case, I just had to punch her in that face of hers that would send her flying. Like as fast she was earlier, in a blink of an eye, I returned that first move. She manipulated her Time Arc to grow a tree behind her and used her feet to break the impact. Her knees bent momentarily to gain momentum. Ultear rushed forward at me at an attempt to retaliate.

"Unlock: Flash Forward!" from right out of my hand came out multiple lacrima orbs that I had locked from earlier. Ultear smirked and broke all of them in front of her. It left a bit of debris and I was awaiting to find her appear out of the cloud of dust. "Unlock: Fall."

With a shock to Ultear, she was struck by a familiar magic. Gravity crushed Ultear to the ground, however, it only last a few seconds. But at least her screams on pain was quite soothing. Yeesh, look what Grimoire Heart did to me.

"When did you lock that kind of magic?" she gasped for air with her tone getting more aggressive.

"I pissed off Bluenote the other week and locked it," I admitted with a mocking smile on my face and shrugging my shoulders. "I'll stop you and Grimoire Heart. I won't let anyone touch Zeref."

After a few minutes with another staring contest, I booked it towards Zeref's direction. I hated leaving a fight, but Zeref was my priority. I'll get another day to bash up Ultear. She seemed to be in utter shock for a moment, but snapped out of it when she realized that I was taking away what she thinks is hers. She attempted to subdue me by attacking me with her stupid lacrima orb, but I managed to lock most of them up and endure the pain. Even without turning back to look her most likely hilarious face, I could tell she was going to explode.

"Ice Make...," I heard after getting Zeref around my shoulders. I slightly turned my eyes and I see her in a usual Make-Magic stance. She had her hands held high and she jerked them to the ground. I had to get out of there or at least lock the attack, but I realized I wasn't fast enough. I had to leave Zeref in order for him not to get hurt. "Rozen Krone!"

Shards of ice in the shapes of roses and deadly thorns emerged. It was a beautiful disaster. The edges of the petals were sharp and the points on the vines made me curse to myself. I couldn't move, my entire body was covered in varying levels of painful scratches and cuts. I remembered that I still had Ultear on my tail, and when I turned, that was when I couldn't move at all. It was cold, freezing perhaps. My eyes were wide open.

"Finally got you to shut up," Ultear continued teasing my motionless body. I was covered in ice and I didn't have enough strength to break from it. "Should you really be trying to go against your own family name?"

Even if I was frozen, I could feel my eyes widen in shock. I didn't know what Ultear was going for, but hearing her talk anything about my family is something I don't want to hear.

"Vermillion... isn't that the name of your precious family?" She continued on and all I could do was mentally tell her to shut her mouth. But she continued on, which each second having her voice turn colder and colder. "You do realize that this guild that we invaded... is the very guild that Mavis Vermillion founded? And that she gave Hades the title of 2nd Master who gave the 3rd title to Fairy Tail's current?"

I remember. Zeref once told me that my ancestor had founded a very powerful guild. Hades wanted everyone to eliminate the fairies...

"I'll remember to destroy the grave of Mavis Vermillion before I leave."

And with that, she took away Zeref and I was left in a frozen state, literally. I was on my knees, my arms fallen to the sides, and I was forced to stay like this til who knows when. The rain started getting heavier, however, it wasn't really helping. But the tears still fell. I never really enjoyed being in Grimoire Heart, but I never knew that Hades kept this much from me. This was her guild... and I was manipulated by her successor. Fuck... Fuck my life. At least the ice didn't prevent me from closing my eyes. I was hit with a small amount of information, but it left a high dent.

"Clarion-chan~"

My eyes widened up as soon as I heard that voice. Right in front of me was a brightly smiling devil of mines.

"Lucifer," I thought. He was arguably my most loyal devil, and probably the most powerful. He had messy blonde hair that covered one of his eyes. He was always messy like that, but he would be professional when it comes to my safety.

"In the case where Clarion-chan is in a dangerously dire situation, I will always be able to break the lock to save you."

Like what his name means, Lucifer is a light-bearer. And with that, he had a signature light-based star magic. Reminiscence to a shooting star, he managed to chisel the ice away. However, I was still numb.

"The ice lowered your body temperature," Lucifer said as he crouched on his knees to meet eye to eye. "That's just one of things that could happen and I'll be here to save you."

This sort of thing only happens rarely. If there was ever a time where I am immobile to manually unlock my devils, then Lucifer will be given the power to unlock himself. I always had this notion to never let this happen, or I'll take it as a sign of failure. I'm a person that takes care of herself. After all, that's what I've been learning all this time.

"Unlock," I commanded and Lucifer disappeared. I saw the sadness in his eyes, but this was something that he should be use to. I'm not someone that needs protection, at least, I'm not someone that will always be helpless. Perhaps this is a flaw that will lead to my downfall, but it is a choice. I don't care if I'll fall lower than my knees today. I've made my resolve.

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><p>Wandering amongst the island once again, I was trying to locate Mavis Vermillion's grave. It didn't seem so difficult. After all, we have the same blood and similar magic. So it wasn't so hard to sense a magic force that was similar to mines. Though, I had to admit, my magic seemed slightly different than Mavis'. It took awhile, but I stumbled upon a cave that lead to something brighter.<p>

It was her grave. It was old-looking, but still impressive. There was a small ball of fiery light that was shining bright. The closer I slowly walked to it, the more harder my heart was being. Even if she was dead, I still felt like her spirit was there staring right at me. She probably thinks I am a disgrace. Zeref, in this world, is seen as the embodiment of hate and destruction. And yet, I see nothing out of him but kindness and gentle love.

I lashed out at the grave as if I was directly talking to Mavis.

"I don't care if I'll be known as a disgrace! I don't care if I will never be able to see the light of day! All that matters is that I give it all back!"

My only purpose. My only desire. I will do whatever it takes to make sure Zeref is safe... like how he was able to do for me. He saved me from leaving this world, and when this world wants him gone, I'll be with him. He is my family. He is the one that I must protect. To give it all back to him, would mean everything to me. I don't know his history with my ancestor, but that doesn't matter. Nothing will matter anymore.

I heard footsteps behind me and I turned to see who. A woman with a prominent Fairy Tail crest.

"What... What is this?" she stumbled on her words and it sounded like she was on a verge of breaking down. She seemed confused and shaken. Not acknowledging that I was an outsider, she instead looked around the area for something. "Where is he? Did you do something?"

"Not a thing," I responded monotonically. Her emotional state seemed off to me.

"Where is he?" she repeated and took out cards from her feathered bag. A Card Mage perhaps. "Where is Master? I am suppose to be an S-Class Mage! I have no time for you!"

In an act of rage, she threw her cards at me. They didn't have any special effect to them, but just used as projectiles.

"Lock," and with a swipe of my hand, the cards were locked in its own pocket dimension at my disposal. Holder Magic was the easiest opponent I could face, and at this moment, I didn't feel like facing a hard end attacker. Confused at first, but she tried using her cards again. "Unlock."

I unlocked the cards from just a moment ago, and it was enough to cancel out the attack.

"Don't waste your breath and don't waste your Magic on me," I said before running past her. Like she said earlier, I had no time for this. I had a resolve and I intended to finish it as soon as I can starting with getting rid of Grimoire Heart. The woman didn't seem like she was going to follow me. "There are other people in trouble, you know."

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><p>I didn't know where to run towards right after that. I was quite confident that Ultear would be stopped one way or another. I held my faith into the hands of Mavis-dono's own guild to survive. My first priority was to try and assist Fairy Tail in getting rid of Grimoire Heart, but how am I suppose to do that? My only tactic right now is the run around like an idiot and try to find some familiar looking Magic. But that wasn't really considering the island was quite huge and I'm guessing the 7 Kin of Purgatory wasn't so equally spaced out. Frustrated, I decided to find Hades. The least I could do with that guy was weaken enough for other guys to kick his ass.<p>

But it is hell of a run... fuck. I had no choice.

"Unlock," I had out a small black padlock in hand. "Mammon."

In the most elegant fashion, my devil spirit, Mammon, emerged from a dark colored Magic seal. She was petite and somewhat omnivorous. She had black short bangs and her hair held in a side bun. She wore a black, short kimono and along with her was a very intimidating scythe. Right next to Lucifer, she is one of my most loyal devils.

"Clarion-sama... how may I be of assistance?" she said in a soft-spoken tone and a respectful bow.

"Bring me to Grimoire Heart's airship," I commanded.

Mammon was always the same, she always went over the top to please me. She literally swooped me from my feet and flew over to the other side of the island. Normally I'm not the person that would scream at heights, but when Mammon flies me somewhere, I shit bricks.

Within minutes, I was carefully landed on the beach where the aircraft was held.

"I appreciate it Mammon, unlock," I thanked her as I shut her padlock closed. Reattaching it back to my lock ring, I slowly eyed the airship. Hades was still in there, I could feel it. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, but I had to do something. I'll punch him, kick him, curse him, spit on him forever if I have to. I'm going to do something right.

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><p><strong>Annndddd thank you for reading! Just to clarify on some stuff, Devil Spirit Magic is somewhat parallel to Celestial Spirit Magic. Though, Clarion only has 7 devils while there are 13 Zodiac keys and lots of silver keys. Think of Lucifer as someone like Loke and Mammon as like Virgo. This wasn't really intended but I found the two quite similar. Don't worry, Mammon isn't someone that asks for punishment lol! Anyways thank you guys for reading, favoriting, alerting, and all that good stuff! I love you guys for giving smiles on my face (:<strong>


	4. Chapter 4: A Favor

**I'm glad some of you enjoyed chapter 2 and bring you is chapter 3! I'm really happy to see the alerts and the favorites YAY! I lubb you guys so muss that you hass no ideass ^^  
><strong>

**Rated T because of my OC! Potty potty tsk tsk ~  
><strong>

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><p>I just... stood there for a moment. I couldn't even move a muscle. But, when I was about to move, I heard something snap. It was horrifyingly sounding crack and I didn't want to look back to see what broke. But that didn't matter, a loud creak was heard after.. and then, the biggest crash I'd ever heard. The shock wave from whatever it was extremely hard to bare. Looking back, the Tenrou tree had fallen.<p>

Fuck...

I had to stop trembling in fear. I hate to admit it... I REALLY hate to admit, but I was terrified at the moment. But I had to suck it up and go for it. I would really HOPE to not face Hades in any way shape or form. My target was the source of his power, his heart that lies within the airship.

First step in the ship...

"Clarion..."

"You got to be fucking kidding me..."

"Very vulgar, wouldn't you say? Would you kiss Mavis with that mouth?"

"Glad to," just looking at him, hearing him, knowing that he is still standing broke my mentality. I quickly flew myself off the floor and straight toward Hades with a closed fist. I aimed at my favorite spot, his face, but he blocked the punch with an open hand. I could feel the wave that came from an amount of strength suddenly blocked and cancelled. "Did you really think I was any important?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you...," I back flipped away to have some distance. "DID YOU EVER THINK I WAS ANY IMPORTANT TO YOU? TO THIS MATTER? TO YOUR CRAZY PLAN?"

He sighed and laughed under his breath.

"Why.. you seem like you are blaming me, Clarion," he said in an almost happy tone. "You are the only precious thing to Zeref. So obviously, there must be some connection between you two."

"Zeref's... precious," I repeated to myself. I regained my fighting spirit. "Unlock: Flash Forward."

I always had a habit to use magics that I recently unlock. Can't keep track of every single piece of magic I take, can I? Using Ultear's recently locked attack, Hades didn't see it coming. He was also aware of our tension and he would never to have think that I got close enough to Ultear to lock something that is hers. But either way, he dodged it nonetheless.

"Unlock: Shock Wave!"

A burst of lightning came out of my Magic seal. And as naturally as Hades would ever, he just took the damage as if it was nothing. Pfft, show off. He tries to act so superior that he doesn't even bother blocking the attack. One after another, I unlocked any kind of magic that I could remember. Until it eventually started to get no where. Soon enough, all I could attack Hades with is the usual wave of energy magic. Everything was just futile.

"Were you always this weak, Clarion?" he mocked me and all I could do was submit to it. My magic was getting low and this wasn't getting anywhere.

"You know what?" I grew impatient. "Screw you!"

I kind of had enough of Hades. He wasn't even my intended target, I didn't even want to get into a fight with him. His strength didn't reside on his body or mind, it was the heart. I was wasting my time and it sucks that I always lose track of it and wander off to do other things. I headed straight for that room, but I was stopped. There was a sudden shock of pain from my wrist and on my ankle. Turning back, Hades used his cheap ass Chain Magic.

"Dammit Hades," I yelled out while being dragged across the walls. "Lock!"

The chains disappeared, but knowing Hades, he just summoned more up to drag me down. This became a cycle and I was losing strength and magic while Hades gets to do the fun stuff and make me suffer. The rain was really pouring down and the fighting ground became messed up. For the last time, I was struck to the ground and I was losing more blood and my vision became blurred.

"HAAADDDEEEESSSS!" a familiar voice roared across the broken up room.

I looked behind me to see a blurred Natsu. Instinctively, I gathered my strength to move out the way. He blasted a large wave of fire towards him and Hades was able to maneuver himself around other members attacking him. It was amazing to see the teamwork, something I've never done. Natsu noticed me leaning against the wall and quickly came over.

"Clarion? H-Hey are you okay?"

"I'm fine, focus on Hades!" I yelled at him and he returned to Hades looking more angered than ever. I had my faith in them. They had the strength to defeat Hades. With one goal out of the way, I've made my way towards the halls of the Grimoire Heart airship. To the door of that room was many of the regular members and whoever was there seem to have the upper advantage. They were at his heart, that's enough.

I was still limping. But my exhaustion was getting the best of me and I collapsed.

* * *

><p><em>It was icy cold, but my body didn't feel like shivering and my breath was normal. I was laying on something, but nothing was there. I wasn't floating in mid air, but everything was white. I felt footsteps come closer to me and then a touch of a hand was on my cheek. No one was there.<em>

_"Did I die from exhaustion, blood loss, wounds?" I thought to myself. "Is this death?"  
><em>

_"No," a voice said out loud. It was a voice of someone that could always calm me down, always keep me safe, always made me smile: the sound of Zeref's voice. He could always read my mind and would, like always, be there. Even in my dreams.  
><em>

_"Why did you leave?" I asked without moving a muscle.  
><em>

_"I never intended to."  
><em>

_"Yes you did. You always told me that one day, you'll be gone."  
><em>

_"I never wanted to."  
><em>

_"Tell me the truth."  
><em>

_"You will never be safe around me."  
><em>

_"But you always kept me safe."  
><em>

_No reply. No answer. The touch was gone.  
><em>

_"Are you still here?" I asked out loud.  
><em>

_"I'll always be here."  
><em>

_...  
><em>

_"Clarion," he said but I did not reply. "I had always loved Mavis."_

* * *

><p>My eyes instantly opened... wide open. I raised my head, but I felt extreme pain. Enduring it, I looked at my surroundings and there was nothing. It saddened me a bit, but I figured that dreams are dreams... and they don't exist. But I suddenly heard a loud roar and wind randomly flew between the trees and bushes. I looked up and seeing through the leaves, something was flying. It was big and it didn't look friendly. It crashed down on the island sending shock waves throughout the land. I wasn't that far off from where that thing was and I decided to get there myself.<p>

But as I tried to stand up, I fell right back down.

"Shit," I cursed to myself at my broken ankle and a broken arm. Stupid Hades and him chaining the same arm and leg.

That monster continued to cause damage and I had to quickly get to wherever it was. I saw Makarov using Titan against it, and I had to help. I felt like I was taking FOREVER to get there and I hated myself for not being able to get there even faster. I absolutely refuse to use my devils. I had to do this myself and only myself because this is my business. Zeref would probably scold me, but he isn't here. His presence... was gone for some reason.

I noticed that dragon-like creature flew up in the sky and looked like it was holding it's breath. It was going to use a breath attack and I had to go quicker.

"Fuck this!" I cursed out loud.

Seeing the members of Fairy Tail, hand in hand, look as if they accept their fates, I couldn't go through with that. This is Mavis-dono's guild and I'm not letting it be taken away. As the breath came down with a blast of energy, I worked up taking the pain and ran towards the center of their circle. I went right in between Natsu and his blonde-haired friend.

"Clarion!"

Many of the members seemed shocked at a random presence.

I held my hand out and closed my eyes shut.

"Lock," I attempted to save everyone. But even I, can't do something so big and bold.

* * *

><p><em>"Mavis," Zeref called out in front of her grave and her spirit appeared before him.<em>

_"It's been awhile... Zeref. You always resided here, but you never come to visit."  
><em>

_"You never came to me."  
><em>

_She gave a soft smile anyways and looked away.  
><em>

_"Can I ask you... for one last favor?" Zeref asked as if he was pleading. He was visibly upset and frowned.  
><em>

_"I will," she agreed without knowing what was the request.  
><em>

_And with that, Zeref nodded in gratitude and left the memorial. Mavis watched him walked away and clasped her hands together to pray._

* * *

><p>"We will meet again... someday."<p>

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><p><strong>HERP DERP! Was that really a dream? Or was Zeref really there? Does Clarion talk in her sleep? WHAT DO YOU THINK? hehehe, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! I apologize if this seems... sorta fast, but I REALLY want to make it to the post-time skip! Omg, I promise the chapters will start getting longer... Thanks again for reading, love you guys!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: Destination

**Lols, I changed up the chapters cause I got tired of changing the number everytime.. ah lazy lazy.. anyways, I tried making this chapter longer than what i've been releasing... I hope you enjoy and THANK YOU for the reviews/alerts/favorites/etc it really, really makes a difference! Ahah, and again, enjoy the post-timeskip!  
><strong>

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><p><em>It was strange. I know I'm awake, but my body refuses to... function again. What just happened? Oh yeah, I attempted to lock in a dragon breath. Damn, that was quite stupid of me, but hey... nothing hurts to try. The moment I am in right now, it feels more lonely. In that dream, everything was white. But in this... whatever it is, its just plain black and dusk. This is more closer to solitude. I feel nothing. Maybe this is death. Maybe I did something right. Hah, doing something right... something I've never done before. And maybe... this happens when someone like me does something right for a change. I could die in peace...<em>

_HOPEFULLY, that isn't the case.. because I'd REALLY like it if I was allowed to live again._

* * *

><p><strong>(Note: POV changed due to OC being.. unconscious.)<strong>

"Is she... okay?" many Fairy Tail members had the same question in mind. Clarion, despite also being protect from Fairy Sphere, has still not yet awaken. Some of them swarmed around her lifeless body still slightly buried by rubble, but Makarov had moved them back. She still had wounds around her, and they seem to still have yet to fully heal. She was breathing, but barely.

"She will be fine. I've placed a Fairy Tail crest on her arm just before the attack. Those with this mark, will not die on this island..."

"1st...," Makarov, 3rd Master of Fairy Tai stepped a little closer to Mavis Vermillion. "Is there a reason why you and this girl have an uncanny resemblance to each other? This girl was a part of Grimoire Heart-"

"Hey, Clarion is a good person," the Fire Dragon Slayer spoke out arms crossed with his Exceed companion following up with his usual "Aye Sir!"

"Believe me, Natsu," Makarov tried calming down his S-Class Potential Mage. "I trust you."

"She will be alright, just unconscious because she recklessly tried to lock in such a massive attack," Mavis avoided the question, not turning away her gaze from the passed out Lock Mage. She approached the body, kneel next to it, and turned the arm over to show off the Fairy Tail mark.

"That's..." Cana, Fairy Tail's S-Class potential Card Mage instantly recognized the extravagant crest.

"I've given her the spell, Fairy Glitter," Mavis revealed the same Fairy Glitter mark that was given to Cana earlier, except it was dark green in color; the color of Mavis' eyes.

"Fairy Glitter? For what reason?"

"I apologize that you were not able to cast the spell to protect your friends," she apologized the Cana in sincere remorse.

"No... it's okay," Cana reassured her guild's founder. "I was probably not strong enough."

"My deepest regrets, I've placed you in harm. But... Clarion," Mavis paused. "She is capable of casting it. And I transferred the spell permanently. If there is a time where 3rd cannot cast Fairy Law, then Clarion will do her best to unleash its rival spell."

"This... Clarion," 3rd Master, Makarov, proceeded towards Clarion. He looked down for a moment and back up to the face of his predecessor.

"Please, take care of her, 3rd," Mavis bowed her head as if she was expecting a rejection. "I promised to look out for her, but I may not be the perfect guardian. Since I could not rescue all of you beforehand."

A pause broke out. Makarov's expression looked as if he was offended by her request. He made a few grunts because he didn't know what to say. He wants to fulfill a wish from his founder, but he still had his doubts with the former Grimoire Heart member. Even if he allowed Gajeel and Juvia to join from another guild that committed war, he was still held back. Grimoire Heart was different. It was a dark guild and also led by his predecessor that he looked up to. Thinking back to this, Makarov repeated his question from earlier.

"Why are you attached to this girl?" Makarov said in his most serious tone to make it clear that he wants an answer. Before allowing a new member to his guild, he must learn how to trust them.

"She...," Mavis sighed.

"I am her descendant." **(POV back to normal)**

Eyes widened, jaws dropped, pupils turned white, and bodies stiffened. There was a cold breeze of awkwardness and silence. I still kept an annoyed face, I don't like being wakened up from a good slumber. I kind of eyed the current master, but then I realized that I was in the presence of Mavis Vermillion herself. I didn't know what to do at this point. I had never imagined that I would be able to meet her, or her spirit for that matter. What do I say? Better yet, what should I do? Considering that I was in her successor's dark guild that declared extermination on her guild... yep, life is such a bitch. I noticed a Fairy Tail insignia on my right forearm and questioned why its there in the first place... because it shouldn't be there at all.

"You deserve to be in a better place," Mavis finally spoke out loud. She slowly, almost like a dream, walked towards me. I was still on my knees and I had felt a soft hand on my head. I couldn't bare to look up at someone so kind.

"I've done so much wrong," I almost broke into tears.

"Mistakes...," she said almost in a whisper. "Are not meant to chain down one's will to head for the right path..."

"... yeah," I had to admit that she was right. Even if I was doing everything wrong, I could still redeem myself... but what about Zeref? In this sort of society, anyone that is associated with him is considered 'wrong'. I'm with him no matter what the case is. He is the perfect example of this logic. He made mistakes... many mistakes, but he is rejected by the world and believes that he should no longer be here. I want to change that. I want to break those chains that he has put on himself. He deserves freedom, even if he chooses to be in solitude, he should be happy. I want to lock away his sadness like he did with mine.

Mavis slightly bended her knees and whispered in my ear.

"You are a good person, Clarion-chan," afterwards, she stood up straight again and spoke louder. "Please, do what your heart tells you to do."

And with that, I gave a smile and nod. I will do just exactly that. She pulled me in for an embrace which I didn't hesitate to return. A hug from someone so close to me, it's the best feeling in the world. And by having her believe in me, just makes it even better. It was very touching, not really my thing, but anything for a moment like this. After a few moments, we parted and she began to float up like a little fairy.

"It's become a wonderful guild, 1st," she said with a bright, child-like smile before her spirit drifted away. I stared off the direction where Mavis disappeared. I went into my own little world, until it was snapped by a hand appearing next to me.

"Let's take you home, Clarion," I looked over to see Natsu trying to lend me a hand. I'd normally get up on my own, but this was an exception. I had a new resolve, a new life, a new family.

This kind of guild had a different atmosphere. Definitely. It felt so serene, so calm, so sweet, so... kind... at least once you past the frequent fighting and ruckus that occurred within five minutes of boarding the boat. Hell yeah, this was my kind of guild. I could finally let out my true self, something I couldn't do in Grimoire Heart. Fairy Tail feels just right and I'm grateful to be part of them.

"Clarion," an old man's voice caught my attention. It was Makarov, sitting on the edge of the boat. I leaned over the edge with my elbows, feeling the breeze of the ocean. "Should we be worried? Since you were once, technically, a dark Mage..."

"I don't think you need to worry," I told him without looking directly. "I never really left the airship at all, so I suppose there is no evidence that I had ever been affiliated with them."

Makarov understood and nodded. I don't blame him for being a little nit-picky about me being part of Fairy Tail. I never asked to join and he never intended to accept me anyways. If Mavis never asked him to, he probably would have never invited me. He was being a good master. I would have been a little suspicious too if there was some person that was part of a guild that pretty much tried to destroy a big chunk of the guild.

Natsu and Happy tried to introduce me to some of the core guild members. They were absolutely horrible at it since all they told me were the things that they didn't like about the person. Hah.

"So, Clarion," the scarlet-haired S-Class mage spoke.

"Yeah? T-" I stopped myself from saying 'Titania'. Grimoire Heart never really referred to anyone in their actual name, but what they were known as. It didn't seem appropriate to call her by a nickname rather than her true name.

"Being how you use to be in the most powerful dark Guild...," she crossed her arms and gave me a serious, but not threatening, look. "How is your strength like? I'd like to spar with you."

"No way, Erza!" Natsu butted in with fire spewing out of his mouth. "I call fighting Clarion first! I bet she's super strong!"

"Well... I don't like to brag...," I cracked my knuckles and gave a sly smile. "I got lots to improve on, but I bet I can take Natsu on."

"Hoh... I'm fired up!" before letting another second get wasted, he went off and tried kicking me. I was caught off guard and barely blocked it with my arms. He bounced back off and I could tell he planned for a fire attack. He deeply inhaled and placed his fists together. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"Oi, Natsu! Don't burn the boat down!"

I held out my hand in front of it and smirked.

"Lock."

Instantly, that big, hot ferocity was locked into my own disposal.

"Lock Magic? I never really heard of that," Mirajane commented.

"Unlock: Fire Dragon's Roar," with my opposite hand and a slight wave, my own roar was released. Adding in my own Magic, it became much stronger.

"Oi, Clarion! Don't sink the boat!"

"Woops!" I kind of left a big hole in the ship. So, I had to do something. "Unlock: Tree Fist."

"That's...," Erza recognized this attack when battling with another member of the 7 Kin of Purgatory, Azuma and his Great Tree Arc.

"I lock a bunch of Lost Magic from the 7 Kin of Purgatory. Whenever Ultear didn't want to reverse time to fix up any damage the kin causes while training, I would usually just keep the Magic for myself."

"That's impressive," Gray, strangely lacking pants, liked the idea of having other people's Magic.

"Do you keep those attacks forever?" Lisanna asked with a bright sense of curiosity.

"Only if I remember that I them," I giggled a little bit as if it was a joke. No kidding though. "If I forget that I have it, it just turns into extra Magical energy. So I just blast people with some Magic."

It was quite strange how people became more and more curious about my Magic. I wasn't so use to explaining my Magic that I had a tendency to stutter. I never really wanted to tell Grimoire Heart members my Magic, so I never really knew how to answer questions about it in the first place. This was quite an interesting guild. I might like it here, everyone is super strong and that would help me improve fighting.

"Hey, I always wondered...," Natsu scratched part of his head as if he was itching with confusion. "What's with those little locks?"

I looked down at my side and remembered that I had my 7 mini padlocks attached to a slightly, over-sized key ring.

"It's... nothing," I decided not to tell them about my 'secondary' Magic. Maybe one day they'll find out, but I really don't want them to know. Despite how I kind of take this Magic for granted, I detest it. They don't really help me get stronger, and they are only there for my so-called protection. I'll admit that I'm a little stubborn, but I absolutely hate it when someone else has to take care of me. I guess I'm that much of a little brat, but I can take care of myself. In dire situations, I'll be forced to unlock my devils, but not now. I don't want to get any suspicions. I didn't want to tell them about my connection with Zeref either. It might jeopardize my situation and make things complicated for Fairy Tail. It wasn't worth the problems. Just when the time comes... that's it.

Natsu's eyebrow raised and tried to speak against how obvious I was hiding something, but Erza threw him into a hug. I gave a small smile to her in gratitude that she understands that I don't want to talk about them right now.

"Alright everyone, we're here!"

* * *

><p>Walking along the streets of... Magnolia Town, it seemed a bit run down. I wanted to ask if Magnolia always had been like this, but I could tell on everyone's faces it definitely wasn't. How long has it been? 7 years? Damn, that would give a town enough time to let themselves go. There was many shocked expressions on multiple crowds, but none of them dare tried to walk toward us or say anything. We all passed by a rather unruly looking building with the guild name, Twilight Ogre, written on the sign. The members that picked us up helped explain how much this guild had bullied Fairy Tail for becoming so weak. What little douche bags. I couldn't tolerate anyone that does that and neither did the other members. Everyone had the same intent on their faces: let the world know that Fairy Tail is back.<p>

Walking up a little path up to the new location of Fairy Tail, it has really gone downhill. Getting closer to the entrance, we already see multiple members of that Twilight Ogre still bullying the members. Seeing one of them about to hit a kid member, Natsu lost it. With all the strength piled into his leg, he kicked the ass off of that member with a charred touch to it. He flew across the hall, passed a few members that didn't look back, and became part of the wall. The other ogres looked back as if they were going to do a little ass woopin', hah what losers. They received the same treatment.

With bright smiles and a cheerful manner as if nothing had happened, they welcomed themselves back into Fairy Tail. As expected, tears and happiness was spread throughout the remaining members. They had it rough I'm guessing considering that Fairy Tail was left as a little dump. Everyone was grateful how Fairy Tail was still kept going with the most dedicated members. Hugs and excitement filled the atmosphere. It was quite a joyful moment here. I didn't really get to have the privilege to feel what the others are, but I'm grateful that I could watch it.

In all the time lost, Fairy Tail focused the next few weeks trying to make it up. Drinking, dancing, singing, and just partying in general was their way of making everything up. Cana asked me if I like to drink. Honestly the only thing they had on Grimoire Heart was Hades' rich-ass wine shit. I took a sip of what Fairy Tail serves, and hell to the yes it was much better.

Cana and I high five. After a few chugs, I realize that I was quite the heavy weight when it comes to drinking. Not as much as Cana though. It was nice making friends around here.

"Clarion-san!" I looked over to see a rather skinny looking Mage. It was Reedus, the Pict Magic user. "May I paint a portrait of you?"

"Ahh.. I'm not really the type to be a model...," I blushed a little and scratched my head in embarrassment. We laughed and smiled and I was having so much fun. A part of me didn't want all this fun and joy to end. That would be too selfish of me, wouldn't it?

* * *

><p>Footsteps were heard coming in. I thought maybe it was those ogre jerks, but they weren't. I recognized Jura, being a Wizard Saint and all, and realized that these were members of Lamia Scale. How nice of them coming to welcome the returning Mages. It wasn't long until they noticed a not-so-prominent member of Fairy Tail being present.<p>

"A new member, Makarov-dono?" Jura kindly asked.

"Why yes, she...," he paused for a moment. "Is our founder's amazingly, great granddaughter."

I stuck out my tongue at him and his pun on the "great". Mavis was quite old at this moment and who knows how "great" of a granddaughter I am. I just know that I am awesome. I was grateful that Makarov intended to keep secret about my former membership of a dark Guild.

* * *

><p>After some celebration wore off, many members wondered about the future of Fairy Tail. Will it rise to it's former glory? Of course it will, but how?<p>

Romeo and the others helped us catch up on the latest news about Fairy Tail and the world pretty much. 7 years would be a long time and some dirt is gladly appreciated. He talked about Sabertooth, the guild that replaced the guild's former title of strongest guild in Fiore. There was also some bits here and there and Magnolia, Twilight Ogre, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and other guilds that grew stronger.

Then, something new about the world was explained: The Grand Magic Games. A tournament like event that has many guilds compete for the title of the strongest guild in Fiore, with Sabertooth always winning and claiming the title from Fairy Tail. They revealed that Fairy Tail always ended up last because they had the most extremely unlucky choice of competitors. But maybe this year would be different now that the most strongest members would try and compete. It would be quite difficult seeing how the members weren't so up-to-date with the time. 7 years is a shit load amount of time that was lost that could've been used for training.

Three months is all everyone had to get worked up. But everyone was determined to redeem Fairy Tail. I wanted to be part of it too, whether or not I'll be chosen to participate. I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't since I'm not really a long term member. I don't deserve taking a spot from someone else that has been with Fairy Tail for a long time. Quite hilarious that Makarov kept wanting the prize money.

Many of them had already left to go on some training trip off somewhere. The excitement was filled in all of them, even in the most serious ones. Cute. I suppose that it was my turn to go off somewhere to train. The other members didn't want to participate seeing how each of them had already been a competitor at least once and it was complete hell for them.

"Don't you think it is lonely to go off training on your own?" Makarov questioned without giving eye contact. Leaning beside him, I turned to him, but he did not look back. "Even Gajeel is going with a partner."

"I don't get lonely that easily," I turned away from him and slightly gave off a pout. "Besides, for everyone else, it is best for them to have one good training spot. My type of Magic consists of locking in a variety of attacks. It would be a bother to anyone else if they had to move place to place. Don't ya think so too, Master?"

"Why don't you lock in some of our S-Class attacks?" Makarov questioned.

"Shouldn't I do that after everyone had some training?" I winked. We giggled a little bit considering how devious I was being. I hopped off the bar chair and started on my way to who knows where.

"Where will you be going?"

"Dunno, I'll go ask around for a town that has a lot of Mages," I waved at Makarov and thanked Kinana for the drinks.

* * *

><p>At the train station I was eying a board of possible locations to go through. I couldn't really tell where to go to and I was making it obvious I was having difficulties. A kind train worker came along and asked me if he could help at all.<p>

"Do you know which one of these destinations have a lot of Mages?"

"Well this place sure does. It may as well have the most strongest ones!" He pointed at a town and I seemed satisfied with it. I kind of brushed off the whole "strongest" part. Pfft. I boarded the train for that location.

Going through my things... I didn't really things. Just a little bag with a few spare changes of clothes and little to no money. Damn. Maybe I'll make some money by working at this town. I had three months anyways. I took a small nap on the train since it was taking awhile to reach my first training spot.

_"It's white this time...," I thought to myself. Everything was plain and never ending, the slightest movement made the loudest echo. I sighed at the thought how I had returned to this sort of dream. Though, I find it quite awesome of me to be able to think while I dream. But I still couldn't control what I dream, darn. _

_"How is the guild?"  
><em>

_I turned around at the sudden voice that appeared out of no where. I see a petite, young girl.  
><em>

_"Mavis-dono?" I didn't know whether or not to believe that her spirit was actually there, or if it is just my imagination. "Fairy Tail is great, thank you."  
><em>

_Her smile shined throughout the blank atmosphere which I couldn't help but return it with the softest smile I could manage. There was an awkward silence though which absolutely killed me. I never had this sort of communication with anyone that I care about that cares for me the same way. I have the feeling of being naive, but I didn't know what I should do, how I should talk, what should I ask. When Zeref hit my mind, I just had to ask. When she told me to follow my heart, I swear that she knows what is going on.  
><em>

_"Zeref is kind," she read my mind. Her expression saddened a bit, but not too depressing. She cupped her hands together and looked down with her eyes slowly blinking. There was a short pause, but I wasn't sure if I should ask more questions.  
><em>

_"He is," I agreed with her, hoping that it would cheer her up. She didn't move a muscle. This sort of thing bothers me, whenever I wasn't able to make someone smile. I went closer to her, bent my knees to her height, and pulled her into a soft embrace. I didn't feel her return it, but I didn't mind. "If you don't mind me asking... what is your connection with... him? _

_Slightly backing away from the hug, I noticed Mavis had a little smile across her face. I still missed the big smile that she had from cheek to cheek.  
><em>

_"One day..."  
><em>

A quick jolt on the train woke me up and slightly hit my head on the back of the seat. I clenched my teeth at the pain and wiped the back of my head to try and ease the little pain. I looked out the window behind me to see what was around. My jaw slightly dropped at the large town-like city, if that made sense. I was assuming that was my destination noticing the train slowly down just a little bit. The little buildings were just like any other typical place. It wasn't run down or anything, but quite decent. The main attraction was the gigantic, slightly pyramid-ish looking building. It look really extravagant and impressive. The train suddenly passed by a banner with a guild symbol on it. Perfect, it was a guild town. But then my eye locked onto the top of the building. There was a ferocious looking feline on it with deadly canine teeth. It was a saber-tooth statue on top of a massive guild building.

I didn't know why, but I didn't feel like going closer or deeper into the town. Sure, I could spread the word that Fairy Tail is working its way back, but this place didn't really feel like it welcomes outsiders. I wanted to go back and pick another town, any other town, but I realize that I didn't have enough money. Well fuck this shit.

I figured that I had to sneak back onto the train, but I had to pass the ticket master. I looked over at the end of the train to see a little door. Chance! I hopped over the railing in the most stealthiest way I can.

"Woah! Ticket?"

...

Okay, maybe this time I'll just go on top of the train. I sneaked over to the other side of the train and hopped onto the top. I double checked if any passengers would see me, and it was clear. As the train was ready to lead, the smoke flew over the train. I had to cough a lot, but I'll have to endure if I must. Until I realize that the train was going to go through a tunnel... without any space for me to sneak under. I didn't have enough time to jump off and I ended up being cracked onto the top of the tunnel entrance. My left arm was really stuck in there, but I managed to pull it out. Half my arm was covered with cuts, but nothing too bad. Being caught.. again, I was forced into town.

I looked a little disheveled and grumpy. I heard many whispers here and there, but I wasn't in the mood. I didn't even feel like doing anything, I was just walking around like a hopeless zombie.

"Hey there, sweetie...," I heard a voice of a young man. I didn't bother to turn around to face them, I just continued walking.

"We haven't seen you here before? You new?" There was another voice. I felt my body be held back. This guy decides to grab my wrist and stop me from continuing on without them. "Are you a Mage?"

"Let go," I slowly looked back with a death glare.

The guys behind me were good-looking, but they seem like idiots. Both of them looked like high school delinquents. My serious expression slightly intimidated them, one more than the other. The guy that grasped my hand just smirked and pretended that he was the one in control. But even I could see the little sweat dripping down his face.

I forced the grip off and continued to walk along, slightly more grumpy. I noticed that they were still following me so I tried to shake them off on a few occasions. That method wasn't working out so well so I needed to cut through alleyways and corners.

"Finally," I thought trying to catch my breath. My pain was still hurting me a little and I think that guy held onto my wrist a little too rough. I wasn't myself for some reason. I had no desire to do anything, I felt so weak. Maybe I was coming down with something. I tried to test my temperature by pressing my better hand onto my forehead, but as I did, a surge of pain reentered my wrist.

"Thought you could lose us, huh?" it was the same guys again. He was really, really hurting my wrist now. I winced in pain as he was crushing my bone.

"Let. Me. Go!" using my other hand, I tried punching him in the face. However, his other buddy blocked it.

"C'mon, let's go have some-"

He didn't finish his sentence. I looked up to see both of their expression, quite hilarious but, looking like they were going to piss themselves. The sweat was very noticeable now. I was confused for a moment, but I felt someone pull me back. The guys let go of my wrist a somebody was holding me closer to them using one arm. Quite muscular, I like.

"You should know the rules by now, boys," he said and leaned his chin on my head. "I get the ladies first and you get them when I'm done with them."

Hearing such an ignorant comment, I had enough. I headed butted whoever this guy's chin was which made him fall back a little and the other guys run like little girls. His chin was more dense than I thought, so I had a little headache right after. I wiped my head a little to ease the pain, not even looking to see how the guy was. I felt a little warm, and I noticed that I was coming down with something. Some stupid fever probably.

"Another girl, Sting?" another guy came by. His voice seemed more mature this time.

"Heh, this one is a tough cookie, Rogue."

I looked back to see two completely different types of guys than those other ones before. Rogue was a little gloomy, serious looking while Sting definitely looked the way he acted: very cocky. I wiped his chin and stood up on his feet. There was a moment of silence and little stare off. I noticed Sabertooth emblems on these guys and realize that they must be the more powerful Mages judging by their looks and ability to scare off other guys. I scoffed at them and started walking away.

"What no thanks?"

"I could've taken care of it myself," I slightly yelled and didn't stop for a second.

"Hmph, I'll remember that then."

"Whatever."

I started feeling light headed the longer I continue to stand up. I didn't even notice that my balance started to shift and I wasn't even walking straight anymore. I leaned against the side of the building to support myself, but it didn't make me feel any better. This was stupid, I never get sick. I blame the town and their yuck rubbing off on me. I felt my forehead being moist of sweat and my body trembling.

"Sting, what are you doing?"

I felt my body being picked up off the ground. That guy had the nerve to touch me again. I punched him in the face and I fell back on my feet. I could tell that he was losing his patience with me, which is fine. I didn't say a word this time and neither did I. Even if I was holding onto the walls, I still didn't want anyone's help at all. I don't feel like I can trust anyone here. But I was wasting time, just like the waste of 7 years. I had to get stronger as fast as I could and getting sick on the first day is the worst luck of all. Fuck my life.

I looked back to see Sting get back on his feet for the second time. He had an annoyed facial expression, but I walked back up to him anyways.

"Can I borrow some money?"

* * *

><p><strong>Lols, thank you for reading my lovelies! It warms my heart when I see you guys favoritereview/alert/and stuff! Thank you so much I love you guys! Things might get slow for the next few weeks since school is almost over... but I'll try my best to fit in as much time for the next chapters! (:**


	6. Chapter 6: Thank You

**The next couple of chapters would be quite difficult seeing how Sting's Magic isn't revealed, so I might have to omit that part and put it in some flashback perhaps. I will try my best! I apologize if- no... I apologize that Sabertooth IS OOC! I think. Having Sabertooth be seen as antagonists so far, it is difficult capturing a 'softer' side... or they might not even have one. So, that may or may not be to your liking. I apologize again and please do not criticize, I'm just here to tell a story (: Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>I held out my hand at them and they seemed to be confused. I was serious though and when they realized that, they couldn't believe what I was doing. Sure, my dignity was completely wiped out at this moment, but I had no money anyways. After a few moments of just utter silence, I guess that they weren't going to lend me money. I let my hand fall back down and I was about to turn to walk away, but..<p>

"What's with your arm?" he pointed at the scratches I had on my left arm which was also where my Fairy Tail mark was.

"Oh I-.. it got stuck in a wall so I had to pull my arm out."

"What a freak," that comment just took a strike at my heart which got me more aggravated. They didn't seem to notice my Fairy Tail mark on it, considering that it is more lavish than a typical guild crest. I took this opportunity to hide the Fairy Tail guild thing. Sure, spreading the word that Fairy Tail is going to make a come back would warm my heart, but this town, not so much. Everything looked normal, but something about everyone seemed so eerie. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll assume the Sabertooth would get the word eventually.

"Wait," Rogue halted further conversation. Sting turned his attention to his companion. "So, it is you that caused a ruckus at the train station."

"What? Really?"

"Oh... that," I scratched the back of my head and avoided eye contact. "Well- they wouldn't let me go back!"

"Does that give you a right to damage property?" Rogue questioned.

"Yeah, I was the one that had to cover the costs since they couldn't find you!"

"Hey,hey,hey! It was THAT much damage! All I did was break part of that tunnel!" I defended myself while using hand gestures.

"That tunnel was made of expensive material and it caved in!"

"Sting-"

"AND!" he interrupted Rogue and continued on with his rant. "Everyone is tailing your ass to find the person that cause damage to our precious town!"

"GEEZ!" I had enough of his yelling. We were nearly nose to nose on this debate. My eye brow was twitching with anger, to the point where it was almost hilarious. "What is it with this town? I'll pay it back eventually! BESIDES, they wouldn't let me go back home!"

"WELL!" he mocked me by poking by forehead. I was waiting for him to say something before I start retorting back, but he grew a sly looking smile across his face. He got closer to my face, which caused me to blush a little and pull myself back, but he just got even closer. "I'll keep quiet about you breaking the no-tolerance policy on property damage since nobody saw you.. break the tunnel."

"If?"

"If you pay me back with your body," he winked and planted a kiss on my hand. Instinctively, I backhand slapped his cheek and used my free hand to land another punch to his face. Seriously? Even if he was just joking, guys just don't 'joke' like that around me. I assumed that he would take that as a no and stormed off this time. No interruptions, no holding back. I don't need their money. I'll just go find a job or something. But shit, I still have to do training. There should be some job around here that would have some physical labor involved. If I don't get more developed on my Lock Magic, at least I should just get stronger and stuff.

"Obviously an outsider, where do you think she's from?" Rogue asked his fallen friend still trying wipe off his mouth.

"Who knows... with a punch like that, she must be a Mage."

"We never got her name."

"No worried, I'll get it out of her. I'll get everything out of her, one way or another," Rogue responded with a loud sigh, almost as if he was disappointment in his companion's actions. Sting realized this, but didn't seem to mind. "C'mon, let's go back."

* * *

><p>Walking along the streets of this messed up town, I browsed at the multiple stores that they had to offer. I went in, one by one, asking if they were hiring or at least needed any handy help with the place. Though, after the first few rejections, I kind of got the idea that people in this town didn't take so kindly to outsiders. I wonder how it is with tourists then... I took a break with the begging and sat in a public part against a tree. I remember that I had a little bit of training stuffs that I packed with me. Including...<p>

"Bandages!" I got excited like a little child, for some strange reason. I decided to wrap it around my forearm to prevent the cuts from getting infected since I didn't have anything to sterilize it with. Plus, it would hide the Fairy Tail mark on it. If this place doesn't like me, I'm pretty sure they're not going to like where I'm affiliated with. Medical work wasn't in my forte, but I knew the basics to take care of myself. Though, I kinda ended up using up the entire roll.

But my vision went black and dark. Another dream? No.. my body went numb soon afterwards.

* * *

><p>I woke up somewhere cold and rough. I was in a cell with the only opening to the outside is a barred little window on the door. I looked around to see nothing but stone walls... The cell was small, <em>very<em> small. For a second, I couldn't even breathe, but I brought myself back together. But either way, I was cramped in a small, closed off place. My heart began racing faster and faster. The beat of my heart started to hurt my chest. The sweat on my forehead started to trickle down and drip onto my hands. I was uncontrollably shaky, and I felt hopeless. I wanted to use Magic and get out of this hell.

Idiot... I can't use Magic in here and even if I could, Lock Magic does not effect anything but Magic itself. But I guess that's what just happens when I'm in a place like this. I was scared and when I'm scared, I can't think straight, talk straight, or move straight. My teeth were clenched and I was close to hyperventilating. I literally felt like the air was being sucked away. When I started to shed tears, I resorted to physical tactics. I punched and kick and headbutted the walls and door, but I was just repelled back. Even so, I still went on.

Noticing that I didn't hear typically clings and clangs here and there, I looked back down to my waist. It was unusually vacant and my locks were gone. A dire time like this, I would unlock some devil of mine to help me since Magic wasn't really required to summon them, technically. But they were gone. If I wasn't suffocating in this small, cramped up cell, then I would have gone more ballistic than a missile.

If I did nothing, then I am nothing. When I become nothing, everything starts eating me away.

"Well, well, well," my head shot up at the window to that same sly, and somewhat devious, smile. "The girl has tears."

I didn't say another word, but I felt a little better seeing Sting. Even if I hate the guy after our encounter, I felt a little bit safer. I wiped away the tears, but I was still speechless and shaky. I was scared to look back and see the cell.

"I told that that they'll find you," he initially said in a mocking tone, but then he fell into a sympathetic one. The smile went away and he actually looked serious for once. "I'll bail you out, but you know... we can reopen that offer."

I almost started to shed tears again, because he was keeping me in this cell for a long time. I shook my head 'no', and he looked visibly upset.

"You sure? Fine then," he started to walk off and I was getting absolutely terrified again. A panic attack was imminent, but I couldn't even shout anymore. I had to bang the door again to get his attention with the noise. "What?"

Nodding my head slowly, I agreed to his proposal. Anything to get out of this cell. I saw him smile for a brief moment before walking away again. Even so, I still felt okay or, at least, I will be okay. I knew he'll come back and that made me feel better. The unhealthy speed of my heartbeat started to slow its way down, and I felt relieved. Still a little bit rough on the outside, but I guess it's better than what I was like before Sting showed up.

I heard the door click and the feeling of being restrained, physically and Magically, were lifted.

Sting had a hand out to me to help me up, but I ignored it. I literally flew into his arms and held him tight. The shaking still continued, but I felt safe now. The warmth that he had felt so nice. It almost reminded me of the time when Zeref helped me out of the rubble I was trapped in. Ever since then, I could never manage to relive anything like that again. Call me crazy, but I am one hell of an idiot. I didn't even realize that I was HOLDING him and he was HOLDING me back. As soon as I did, my head looked up at him to see that little coy smile of his.

"I'll accept that as my thank you," he winked at me again. I forced myself away from his grip and he didn't go against it. Seeing him be this smiley was more annoying than he was earlier. I tried covering my blush and scoffing off what just happened. I got lost in the moment, kay? Nothing more.

We walked out of the small hell of a place and things got awkward as I didn't know where to go anymore. I still didn't have any money to catch a train back home and I'm pretty sure Sting wouldn't loan me money again after covering me twice in the last few hours. I didn't like this at all. Having to rely on someone isn't something I like to do.

"I believe these are yours," he pulled out my over-sized ring attached with my 7 padlocks. He dangled it around as if he didn't give a damn if anything happened to them. He was being annoying as hell, being careless and arrogant. I attempted to reach over and grab my locks, but he raised his arm and prevented me to reach for them. I wasn't a shorty or anything, but Sting was still taller than me to mock my height. "I'll return these, _after_ you return your end of the deal."

"What deal? Just give them back, stupid Sting," I tried reaching for it again, but he just raised them up higher. My patience ran thin and I went for just forcing him to give them back. I crumpled my hand into a fist and tried landing a punch anywhere on his body, but he managed to block it with his free hand. Apparently, he has caught on that I like to fight my way to things. He smirked and I returned it with a glare.

"You're suppose to return the favor with your body," he reminded me and licked his lips to tease, but I slapped him to stop it.

"You said that you'll take that.. thing from back there as a thank you! Close enough!" he let his guard down for a moment and I instantly snatched my devil ring back. Even if I sort of take my devils for granted, I treat them like children, in a weird way. They were from Zeref, they're too precious for me to use so rash. Besides, I fight my own battles.

"Hey, that 'thank you' was for covering the damages at the station," he slight bent over to have his face meet mines. "You still need to make it up for me bailing you out."

"Pfft, I'm not letting my body touch _that_," I pointed at him causing Sting to be self-conscious.

"What do you mean _that_?"

"Considering how arrogant you are, you probably had other girls in the past," I eyed him from head to toe. "You reek."

His aggravation started to get hilarious. Now I understand why he always try to tease me, reactions are too funny. The exchange of insults started escalating further and further until they weren't meant to undermine each other. The petty bickering soon became some normal for us, even if it has only been a day. I don't really understand why this guy is being around me so much. Sometimes, I don't really understand why anyone would go near me in the first place.

"Need a place to stay at?" he asked as we were walking towards somewhere. It was getting late and it was just us walking down the roads. We were both tired of the bickering that it was time to call it a day. But his proposal kind of shocked me. I didn't expect him to ask that without being inappropriate about the matter. He seemed like he cared... like ACTUALLY cared.

"I'm fine," I rejected, not wanting to rely on him. "I'll figure something out."

"How else will you repay me though?" he gave off a puppy-dog pout which was somewhat cute, but it was too hilarious to be considered adorable as a puppy. "You need to do SOMETHING, don't ya?"

"I'll take a portion of the Grand Magic Games winning and give it to you, kay?"

"Woah, woah, whoa. Grand Magic Games? As in the tournament in three months? That Grand Magic Games? You're in a guild?" he stopped us in our tracks and waved his hands around to cut off the rest of my train of thought. He seemed surprised at this.

"Yeah, and we're going to win. What of it?"

"Wait, but what guild?" his curiosity took over like a little child wanting to know his birthday present. I continued on walking the same direction, but he kept on being persistent on my affiliation. I honestly didn't want to tell him. I'd rather surprise the so-called most powerful guild in Fiore with the return with the last guild's former holding of that title. Besides, seeing him shocked is in so many ways laughable.

"You'll see in three months," I gestured the same wink he had been giving me the entire day. He pouted and crossed his arms, but he put the matter aside anyways.

"So, that's why you came here? For training stuff?" we continued walking.

"Yeah, but I sort of picked this town randomly. I just chose the town that was just ready to go off."

"And.. you didn't bring money for the return trip?" I thought he was mocking me for a moment, but his face showed otherwise. I guess I couldn't completely blame him for thinking I'm an idiot. I know I am.. but I just don't like getting reminded.

"Well, I figured I'd find a job here or something, but...," I paused for a few seconds. "I didn't expect to be in this sort of town."

"What about it? I mean.. what's wrong with it?"

"I don't know... I just got bad vibes. Besides, this is a town full of arrogant pride... something I don't want to associate with. Anyways, this town also doesn't take it kindly when outsiders show up. What's wrong with this stupid town?"

"Hey, hey, hey. This town is just full of pride because the strongest guild is residing here."

"Pfft, nothing comes good out of arrogant pride. Be humble at least."

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes at me. "We're here."

"Wait what? Here what? We what?" I stopped in my tracks and turned to face the stupid Sting.

I looked over in the direction where Sting stood to see a rather nice looking apartment complex. It was large, pretty big and nothing compared to what you see in Magnolia. I noticed a little dot in the sky and as I looked closer, the dot got bigger and bigger. I saw something with wings, and rather small and cute. That is, until that thing hit me in the gut.

"FUCKING-" angrily, I grabbed the thing that attacked my stomach and held it behind the neck as if it was some pet. Well, it was close enough to one.

"Lector?" Sting seemed to know this cat thing.

"Sting-kun!" he tried reaching out for him, but I kept my grip rough and hard. I was still pissed off and I don't intend for Sting to protect him in anyway. "Who is this girl? She isn't a part of Sabertooth!"

"To hell I'll be part of Sabertooth...," I said under my breath. "What's this exceed doing here?"

"He's my partner, can I have him back?" he gestured his hand out, but I wasn't buying it.

"This piece of shit attacked me," I pointed at it. My words may be harsh, but when I'm ticked off, I'll say things that will make people cry. This, Lector, was similar to Fairy Tail's cute cats, but this was far worse. He was a red tuxedo cat and I know that we weren't going to head for the right start.

"I don't like this girl," Lector crossed his arms and frowned. "The girls you bring home are usually pretty and nicer than this one!"

"SEE! I told you that you reek-," I paused for a moment and realized what he just said was an insult. "HEY!"

"Now, now-," while distracted, Sting snatched Lector out of my grasp. It annoyed me, but I didn't try grabbing him again. "Don't argue you two, considering that she'll be staying with us."

"WHAT?" Lector and I said in unison. We took a pause to stare at each other because of the moment we just shared, but then we turned our attention back to Sting.

"She needs a place to stay at and I think it'll be a good experience to be training partners."

"To hell with that shit!" I pointed at him.

"... Calm down, okay? Look," he said in a serious tone. "I'm suppose to babysit this new-comer in Sabertooth. She'll be in our team for the games and Master asked me to make sure that she's strong."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Why don't you and the newbie spar together and I'll see if she's any worth?"

"You're a douche bag," I bluntly said.

"Hey, don't you insult Sting-kun like that!" Lector frantically waved his arms around. I growled at him for a moment and went back to give a death glare to Sting. He was being his arrogant self again.

"Fine, I'll spar with her and stay with you, but I still think you are an ignorant, self-centered, narcissistic-"

"Okay," he had an unamused face on. "I get it, just go inside. I'll get your room ready... unless-"

"Save yourself a tooth, will ya?"

* * *

><p>We entered inside to see other members of Sabertooth. Apparently, it's an apartment complex exclusively for the Sabertooth members. It isn't like a dormitory or anything like that, but like an actual home. It isn't anything like Fairy Tail. The members seem more calm, but still with the over-confident vibe in them. Though, I guess I can't judge them like that. I'll admit that we can be quite over confident too.<p>

I entered his room, seems pretty normal for a rather elaborate housing complex. It had a regular living room, a bedroom, a guest room, kitchen, and one bath... which was pretty unnecessarily extravagant.

"Does your bathroom have to look like something that came out of a por-"

"Shush," he interrupted me from spitting out my vulgar comment. "I need a place like this to look this good."

"You're such a creep."

Unamused, Sting showed me to the guest room. It looked pretty nice, just a regular bedroom with a dresser. I didn't really understand why he had a guest room, but considering how much he is a creep, I would understand. I laid out the only things I had, which are clothes, and rested on the bed. It was already night fall. I didn't like the cold, so I decided not to take a night shower. I noticed that I didn't pack a change of sleep wear with me.

"Yo, stupid," I popped my head into the living room where Sting sat on the couch talking with Lector. "Can I borrow a change of clothes to sleep in?"

He went into his bedroom and I heard him rummage through some articles of clothing. For some reason, he was taking longer than I thought he would take to just get out some regular clothes. More surprising that he didn't mock me or anything about not bringing a spare change of pajamas or something. But the awkward silence between me and Lector was beginning to bother me. Even if we weren't best friend forever, I never really liked silences like this.

"So...," I awkwardly broke the silence, but that just made it even more dense. Lector refused to talk to me and only crossed his arms like a little child. I heard a knock on the door. I didn't know whether or not I should answer it since Sting didn't seem like he was going to. I looked at Lector, but he still continued to not give me any eye contact or communication for that matter.

Sighing, I went over to the door to answer whoever stopped by.

"..."

"Oh, Sting did manage to bring you home."

"... hi uh.. Rogue," I scratched the back of my head due to the even more awkwardness that the atmosphere has riddled with.

"Pleased to meet you...," he responded with good manners, but then I realized that his unusual pause was because he never really got my name in the first place. To try to be on good terms, I held out my hand.

"Clarion Ferez," I introduced myself formally. Rogue didn't shake my hand, which bothered me a little bit.

"Rogue Cheney."

"Fro too!" a little, cute exceed in a frog costumed appeared behind Rogue's shoulder. He was very adorable and had a better vibe than what Lector usually treats me with.

"What are you two doing here? It's kinda late?"

"Just wanted to remind him about his scheduled testing session with Yukino," I assumed that she was the new comer to Sabertooth.

"Don't worry, I'll remind him."

"Thank you."

"See you around."

"Fro too!"

I slowly closed the door. I skipped a heartbeat when Sting's suddenly loud footstep startled me. I turned around to see him have an over-sized shirt and some shorts that rested on his shoulder. He gave me a weird look with an eyebrow raised up which made me notice his scar for the first time. I started getting curious, but I figured he would tell me if he wanted to. He threw me the clothes, which hit me straight in the face. I was so close to starting something, but I was getting tired. So, I went to go get changed in the guest room.

I heard the door click as I was changing.

"STUPID STING!"

"I WAS JOKING!" I heard him laugh from the other side of the door. I sighed and slid down to floor with my back against the door.

"Where did you get these shorts?" I asked them since they perfectly fitted me.

"I don't know. I'm guessing some girl left it here. Don't remember."

"...," I didn't know whether to be disgusted by the shorts or his behavior. "Maybe I should start calling you stinky Sting."

"Hey, then I'd have to think of a nickname for you."

"Like what?"

"How bout...," he thought for a moment. "My girl?"

"Go get fat, stupid Sting."

I heard him laugh for another time. It was actually nice hearing him laugh when it is not directly towards an insult to me. I caught myself smile at this and wondered why. He was nice... I think. Maybe. If you look past his arrogance, stupidity, filth, over-confidence, ignorance, haughtiness, conceitedness... but he was nice? Blah, I don't even know and I shouldn't even care. I looked up at the ceiling and started to ponder why I was in a situation like this. A Fairy Tail Mage... with a Sabertooth member. That's not wrong at all, but something out of the ordinary in every way possible and impossible. Should I even be here? Master was worried about me being off training on my own, but now I'm not. How would Fairy Tail think of this when they learn I was training with them? I guess I could pull off that I was studying the rival's strength. I suppose that would give me some advantage to our biggest opponent in the games.

I'll make the best out of it.

* * *

><p><em>"Clarion-chaaannn!" said the sin of pride. His shaggy white, pure-looking hair covered most of his eyes, leaving just one golden eye to peer through. Lucifer always watched out for me and whined at me. He always took his job seriously and professionally... sometimes. Usually wearing a formal outfit, he never fails to save me when I need it the most. He always annoys me, but I appreciate him. Like the name given to the Morning Star, Lucifer's Magic revolves around the use of stars.<br>_

_"What are your orders, Clarion-sama?" monotonically asked by the sin of greed, Mammon. Never was she greedy about anything, but to serve me. But even so, she was so ever humble and content. Always apathetic, contributing to her calm appearance. She was always formal and respectful, she would always be the one that would assist me when I didn't want to argue. I could never argue with her and she would never question me.  
><em>

_"Claire-chan...," Asmodeus, the sin of lust, had a tendency to drift off and stare at something he likes. Asmo, as I call him for short, was always perverted hence his respective sin. His appearance could suggest he was Lucifer's brother, they were similar. Though, he would always like to flirt with girls and vice-versa. When in battle, he would resort to dirty tactics, which I do not approve of. Asmo specializes in paralyzing-type Magic on a wide scale.  
><em>

_"Yay, Clarion-san!" cheered the sin of envy, Leviathan, or Levi. She was always so cheery and happy-go-lucky, almost like a child. She is a devil that likes to be unlocked. She enjoys this sort of world for some reason, perhaps she doesn't like the Devil World. At times, I could tell that she resents me. I never unlock her, or anyone for that matter, and she would be upset for that. I'd get guilty, but what am I to do? I honestly can't stand unlocking my devils for the purpose of taking care of me. Levi is able to copy Magic and use it well.  
><em>

_"May I have Clarion-sama's permission to dispose of them?" the sin of wrath asked. Amon was like an old-styled samurai. He wore a mask and always has a sword in his possession. He has a short temper and a hot fuse when it comes to the battlefield. Towards me, he is always well-mannered, but he does tend to get over-protective. He does not take kindly to strangers, but he likes flowers I would consider him to be my strongest spirit. Within his abilities, he is able to manipulate and produce fire, water, earth, and air.  
><em>

_"...," nothing is rarely said out of my Beezlebub, the sin of gluttony. Really, the only thing that this guy is over-indulging is his appetite. Though, it's for a good purpose. Beezlebub is a gigantic, chubby, Buddha-like spirit that rarely speaks. When he does say something, it is always something wise. Not only does his giant size protects me from massive attacks, Beezle is also comfortable if I need somewhere to rest. He always meditates on and off the battlefield, but his defensive Magic is always reliable.. even if I don't.  
><em>

_"DAMMIT CLARION," the sloth sin, Belphegor, threw a tantrum. Belphe is lazy and always complaining, especially when she is unlocked, if ever. She dislikes having to do things for me, but she likes to fresh air sometimes. Her attitude can be embarrassing sometimes which refrains me from ever having to unlock her. She gets annoyed easily and gets really angry if bothered enough. When she gets serious, Belphe uses a special slowing Magic.. but sometimes she uses it on me.  
><em>

_By not using them for their purpose, am I taking them for granted? I would always think that ever since Zeref disappeared. I've had these devils since I was young and I use to always use them and have them around, like a family. But after their decline, I always wondered if they ever have any resentment towards me, other than Levi of course. But what about Mammon? Asmo? Definitely not Belphe, but still. I noticed that I would always be so rude to Lucifer... unlocking him without warning or to just shut him up. Being like this doesn't make me proud, but I have my fears. If anything, what happens when something terrible occurs? I'm definitely not a good mother and I think of my devils as precious children, in a weird way. Their Zeref's devils that have been handed to me, and I would never want anything to happen to them. But, I never want to use them because I didn't want to take them for granted by over-unlocking them. Perhaps that has backfired? I want to be independent, self-reliant, and self-sufficient..._

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><p>I woken up to the feeling of being pushed. Next thing I knew, I was falling... and very quick feeling. My face was up against the floor and my nose was starting to sting... just like someone that I was reminded of. I fumbled to my knees and looked over the side of the bed to see that face.<p>

"You okay?" he asked.

"Are you shitting me? You expect me to feel nothing right after someone stupid just kicked me off the side of the bed to have me land on my face?"

"... so, you get cranky when you wake up...," he gave off a boring expression.

I wasn't in the mood to fight back hard, but he still annoyed me. Before climbing back into the guest bed, I flicked him off. I crawled under the bed sheets and tried resuming to sleep... but the idiot didn't leave the room. It's hard to fall asleep when you know someone is there staring at you. I pulled off the bed sheets to see that he was still there with the same boring expression.

"What?" I raised my voice.

"It's almost noon... and you're still sleeping?"

"Hmph."

"C'mon, our date is scheduled in an hour," Sting sat on the edge of the bed and tried wiggling my leg. I kicked it off, but Sting still remained sitting on end.

"What do you mean date? There is no 'date'."

"Well...," I felt the bed move for a moment. One of my eyes peeked open to see nothing. But when I turned my head to face the ceiling, I so no ceiling. I just saw a stupid face being close to mines. I refrained from blushing, but Sting was right on top of me with the blanket the only "wall" to separate us. At this moment, I didn't know what to do. Sting didn't have his blank expression anymore, but a serious one. I felt intimidated for some reason. I saw his lips move to speak. "We can make right now a 'date'."

"Sting-kun...," heard the tuxedo cat Exceed as he was walking into the guest room where all the noise was coming from. Lector was wiping his eyes and didn't see the position his beloved partner was in with the girl he did not like. Though, this surprise caused me to jerk and react depending on my usual instinct.

Sting's face turned priceless as the look of something painful had spread throughout his body. With his hands attempting to relieve the pain at the site of the "damage", he rolled off of me and landed to the other side of the rather large bed. He couldn't say a word at all and I swear that he was going to shed a tear.

"What did you do?" Lector, now fully awake, realizes Sting being out of commission.

"I kicked him," I said blankly before going back to sleep.

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><p><strong>Wellps, I believe this should be okay for now (: Thank you guys for reading and being really nicepolite with your reviews! It makes me very happy seeing you guys like it! By the way, just in case, "flicking off" means to bust out the middle finger lulz. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoy your day/night or something. :]  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7: Reality

**Sorry for the delay, but thank you guys for the support! And thank you for the reviews/alerts/favs/and such and such! I apologize for the lack of... effort? I dont know the exact word I should use. I've always had a pet peeve when I start taking a long time to release a chapter, I just start to rush ): So sorry! I also apologize about Sting's character being completely OOC... drat. I'll definitely attempt to get it, better? I hope... it makes me uncomfortable writing about violence that isn't comical or competitive... I hope you enjoy anyways and stick with this story til the end (: Thanks again ^^  
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><p>Being held against my will, Sting had ordered Lector to forcibly take me to the training spot. I was still in a lazy, tired mood. Ever since I was young, it would take me forever to fully wake up after a long slumber, especially since I didn't exactly have the best day ever yesterday. Sting wouldn't trust someone like me to stay his place he calls his sanctuary. Smart of him, I guess.<p>

"Neh... Sting-kun," Lector nudged his precious Dragon Slayer partner. His eyes were droopy and on the verge of just shutting completely. His legs were just as tired as he was, so he used Aera to get around. However, his flying was very unsteady. His altitude would not stay constant and often shift from high and low. "Can you carry this hog now?"

Lucky of him that I was too out of it.

Sting gestured his tuxedo exceed an approval to just slump me over on his shoulders like a piece of meat. I complained at the two of how they were treating me, but Sting never made an attempt to retaliate or respond in any way. It makes me feel awkward, but I suppose that even he has his moments in the morning... or he could be bi-polar. I mentality shrugged my shoulders at the thought.

It was just a normal field, the vegetation is decent, and not a single sign of civilization. Patches of grass and patches of dirt, was just the terrain. Few trees here and there, nothing blooming about this location. Some parts of the field were rocky and there were even ledges around the area. Surprising enough that Sting or Lector didn't try to throw me off one of them.

"Where is she?" I asked after being put down on my feet again.

Sting didn't speak, but he scanned the area like a child trying to locate the exact piece of candy he wanted. He squinted a little and pointed north after noticing a girl standing by a tree. Her back was turned so she probably didn't notice us. Slightly behind Sting, we walked up to her and finally heard our footsteps drag against the ground.

"I am honored to be in your presence, Sting-sama," she bowed in a respectful manner. The look in her eye was calm and apathetic, but glistening aura she gave off was full of excitement. I heard she has only been a member for a little over half a year. Strange how she is being treated like a new member so late into her recruitment. I suppose guilds vary. I don't really know the size of Sabertooth, so maybe this sort of thing is delayed. Erm.. I don't know.

Stupid Sting didn't make much effort to return her manners. He was being disrespectful and even more arrogant than he usually was with me. I was spacing out during their conversation and just started to stare at how the trees swayed in the breeze. Lector literally snapped me out. I quickly jolted my head toward them and saw the girl bow her head again.

"I am Yukino Aguria," she still had her head in an honorable bow. I've had people bow to me before while in Grimoire Heart, but that was because of fear. Lowering your head for just a casual introduction was just plain weird. I allowed Yukino raise her head back up. I let out my hand to her and she was visibly confused, almost to the point where she was uneasy.

She finally realizes the point of my gesture.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Clarion Ferez," we shook hands, something I haven't done in such a long time. Yukino and I exchanged respectful smiles which Sting just scoffs at. I ignore him.

Yukino seems like a really sweet girl, almost reminiscent of Meredy. Almost. I can't really judge the silver-haired Mage now though. Looks can be deceiving and for all I know, she could just be as bad as Sting.

Not many more words were exchanged after that. Sting, being a lazy ass, took the position of a referee, and a bad one at that. He explained that he wanted us to go all out and not to worry about damages that could be made on the field. He was still being a little rude brat with Lector being his miniature yes man. Rogue and his exceed were to come later on in the day, but I didn't really mind that.

"Remember, you are a member of Sabertooth and will be representing for it in the games," Sting said almost coldly to Yukino. She had a determined look on her face. "You know what that means right?"

"Yes," she responded quickly and proceeded to make the first move.

"Don't mess this up, she's a member of an opposing guild."

Nodding at her "superior", I heard light noises of jingling and clanging. It sounded like my padlocks, but much more subtle. Watching her move, Yukino pulled out a key and without another second to spare, she summoned a spirit.

The same Magic as Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail's precious Celestial Spirit Mage.

"Open, gate of the heavenly scales: Libra!" A voluptuous woman appeared with scales hanging from her fingers. A rather humanoid spirit much like my own devils. Yukino commanded her to change my gravity. I smirked at this. Gravity related Magic is all too familiar and I almost felt bad for having the advantage at the moment.

Allowing the Magic to take affect, I floated up high into the air.

"Lock," I said to make my own Magic negate the Libra's gravity alteration. Even if gravity isn't visible to the naked eye, it still has Magic particles that surrounds its target, enough for me to lock up and store. Falling down back down, I could barely see that Yukino was going to open up another door.

"Open, gate of the paired fish, Pisces!"

Her upward position caused gigantic fishes to appear and soar right into my descending direction. They were beyond massive and I swear that they were going to eat me whole. Using my wits, and a little bit of luck, I had to unlock something. But considering that my Magic has been 7 years dormant, the Magic I've stored up is long forgotten and just turned into magical energy. Not bad, but not as effective or versatile.

Swiping my hands down swiftly, a wave of Magic appeared acting as a shield. The barrier was enough to deviate Pisces' incoming charge from coming any closer. Its head was now diverted and descending back to the ground. Carefully, I stepped onto one of the fishes' body and continue to run straight down. The second of the pair of fishes swooped right beside me as if it was racing with me to see who reaches to the bottom first.

"Open...," I heard Yukino's soft voice spoke. I got distracted and Pisces managed to throw me off, making me fall a rough landing. My attention was still on my opponent. "Gate of the snake charmer: Ophiuchus."

Ophiuchus? My eyes instantly widened at the name of a spirit that has been long forgotten. I wasn't even given time to think, and that gigantic snake was rushing right towards me. Its colossal size made me tremble. Zeref taught me a few lessons here and there about spirits in general. He told me that devils were just like celestial spirits, but different from each other in their own worlds. Subconsciously, I held my locks close to me and figured that I need assistance if I want to defeat the most powerful Zodiac gate. I was definitely against asking them for help, but getting a good, strong impression from Sting would be worth it. Picturing his shocked face and lowered jaw would be very much be in my favor.

"Unlock: Asmodeus," I held out Asmo's pad lock in front of Ophiuchus' rushing assault. My devil, the sin of lust, emerged from the gate between Earthland and the Devil Spirit World. As trained to do so, Asmo paralyzed my opponent without letting another second to go by. He is a bit over-powered, in my opinion, because of the Paralyze Magic he uses is on an extremely wide scale. Even if he was only focusing on Ophiuchus, everyone in the surrounding area could feel stiffness in their bodies.

"Wh-What is this?" Yukino's eyes were full of shock.

"What a cute one, Claire-chan...," Asmo's gaze drifted off to Yukino. It was always annoying of him to always get distracted in battle. I scolded him about his absent-mindedness and his tendency to flirt with girl, but he tuned me out.

"...," a visible anger mark was shown behind my neck. "Unlock."

Click, and he was gone. Asmo was all to use to my habit of rudely locking back my devils. When I was younger, he would usually get annoyed at me whenever I forcibly removed him. Nowadays, he just sighs and smiles. He didn't question the 7-years of absence. Its true that I rarely summon anybody, but I unlock them frequently enough for them to know that I am fine. I guess that if I am out of commission like under the effects of Fairy Sphere, then my devils are under than influence too.

The stun was slowly being dispelled, but it gave me enough time to aim for my opponent: Yukino. I ran straight towards her to give her the final blow. At the last moment, the Paralyze Magic wore off enough for the Celestial Spirit Mage to move out of the way of my oncoming punch. It was so close that Yukino was still unable to move much while collapsed on the ground. Her spirits were removed from the now, rugged battlefield. I lend her a hand to stand up and she looked visibly upset.

"I have stained the Sabertooth name..."

"Eh?" her sudden comment pulled me back a little. "That's an exaggeration, don't you think?"

I tried to console her, but it didn't seem to phase her. Sting slowly walked up to the two of us with Lector flying right next to him. He didn't look too happy, but I was prepared to make sure that things didn't turn ugly between him and Yukino. I understand that Sabertooth has a certain pride to them that they can't seem to tolerate anything but to make the world weak. He just stared at the both of us for a few minutes with a stare that could make shatter glass. Yukino, just by looking at her, is someone that would be fragile. Considering that she specializes in a Summoning Magic, she must've not focus too much on herself.

"Seriously? Is that all you got? You might as well be part of some other guild's trash," Sting directly scolded her without giving any sympathy. Sure, I can be harsh too, but that is only if I'm close to a person... or if I hate them. I was about to but in my Sting kept on going. "Sabertooth is not weak. We are the number 1 most powerful guild in Fiore and we _will_ keep that title so long as the guild stands. There is no way that we would ever let some piece of trash cause change the guild's course in strength."

The wickedness of how he spoke was chilling. My body grew tense and this situation was making me feel uncomfortable... but at the same time... my temper grew as much as Sting's.

"If you can't even defeat an opposing member of a competing guild, then perhaps we should find somebody else to take place of the fair lady," he continued. "You are a weakling. Like Master says... to make skies roar... to make the Earth boil... to make the seas silent... **_THAT _**_is Sabertooth_."

"... yes," Yukino said in almost a whisper. She kept her head down in shame, hoping not to be forced to look at Sting in the eye. If that were to happen, then she would break down and shed tears of embarrassment. Crying... is a sign of weakness to most people. For her to ever show a backdoor to defeat to Sabertooth, would crush her dreams. "Please, I will be stronger. There is still time-"

"Time? _TIME?_" Sting roared. "What will a mere three months do to you! That amount of time will be nothing! It will not make you any stronger and it will just be holding the team back!"

Yukino was shaking tremendously. She lowered her body and went into a bow that begged for mercy and forgiveness. She was still shaking. I admire her will and ability to abstain from crying, but this isn't the right reason to do such a thing to yourself. Lector was no better. He was boldly witnessing this and not even trying trying to retort anything. With a battle between Yukino and Lector, she was sure to be the victor. If Lector was anything like Pantherlily, then he would've revealed that by now or use such a form to retaliate from my roughness. That made me angry. I'll understand if exceeds like Lector and Fro are there to give moral support, then Yukino would be exception for that sort of position. She greatly admired Sabertooth and worked so hard to get accepted. But when the time finally came to determine her worth, her hopes were shattered into tiny pieces of deteriorating dreams. Not caring about your comrade... was much like the characteristic of a dark Guild.

My stream of consciousness was cut off when I notice that Sting lifted his arm up. His hand was balled into a fist and I could tell where this was going to. Yukino cooperatively stood up slowly on her feet. Her eyes closed and prepared for punishment. Like how I always manage situations like this, I arrogantly let my instincts take over.

Coming between the two, I held Sting's fist full of hate in my own hand. He struggled a little, trying to get me to release my grasp. But I still held on, only to let go if this son of a bitch would calm down. We shared gazes. Unlike those other times where I would give him my death glare, the feelings would always be one-sides. At a time where both me and Sting are serious to the point of death, it felt different. We were so close to each other, just barely to the point where our bodies didn't touch. My heart was beating fast, but I felt nothing from his side. I hate that about how we communication... something is always one-sided... and I always make it so I was on the bad end. I absolutely can't stand him right now.

"Stay out of this...," his voice calmed down a bit, but he was still angry. By the looks of it, I was the one making his temper boil. "You aren't even a part of Sabertooth!"

"So what if I'm not? I'm not here to associate with this guild! But when I see someone that is being broken down by someone like you, I'll do what it takes to protect them!"

"Protect? What is the point of protecting trash?"

"She is not trash!"

"She is weak and fragile.. Sabertooth would be looked down upon if we allow her to-"

"Weak? Fragile? I bet my life that you were weak and fragile at some point of your life! The moment you are born and a little beyond that... infants, toddlers, children... small, tiny, and easily shattered."

"Shut up, what do you know about Sabertooth?"

"What do you know about strength? What do you know about pride? Reputation?"

"This is the way of the most powerful guild," Lector butted in.

"What the hell do you even know too?" I raised my voice considerably louder. "Between you and me, we both know who would come out of a fight."

I managed to shut him up with that notion.

"Don't you dare speak to him that way," Sting defended.

"I'll speak the way I want...," I said coldly. "What makes Lector so different from Yukino? Why does he get more protection? A guild is bound one another and will always protect their friends."

"Sounds like a pretty weak guild then."

"We will crush you."

"Prove it."

"Just. You. Wait."

"If you care so much about Yukino.. then why don't help her prove that three months is enough time to get her into shape for the games? Don't you like to make me eat my own words?"

"Gladly," I accepted his challenge only to realize after that I'll be stuck in this town for the rest of the time.

"Let's see who's right then."

"I won't lose to the likes of you."

Sting backed off a little and smirked with one eyebrow up. He grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me back toward the town. I struggled out of his grasp, but he won't let me go at all. Yukino thanked me before being sent back to her home. Sting went back to having petty bickering with me, but the awkward tension was still between us. Not before long, we were entering the head quarters of Sabertooth. The building was extremely large and entering in it was no different. Like the living quarters of Sabertooth, the inside was luxurious and very professional. Fairy Tail was always laid back and carefree. The atmosphere in this kind of guild was slightly off. Many looks were given and the sound of whistles pierced my ears. Sabertooth, the guild associated with the letter A: arrogance, annoyance, abnormality, awkwardness, antagonistic... asses. Maybe adultery in Sting's case.

"Master...," Sting bowed and greeted a muscular, old man. He like quite intimidating and didn't seem to like the presence of an outsider within in his guild. I didn't really like the way this was turning out. He turned his head to look at me. "This is Gemma, our Master of Sabertooth."

"Master...," I repeated quietly seeing the highest authority figure of the ass guild.

"What is it Sting...," he said it like more than a command rather than a question. Even his voice was intimidating that little droplets of sweat glided down beside my eye. I was getting more frightened rather than be angered at Sting. "How is the Aguria girl?"

"Oh that," Sting stood up straight to speak with his Master. But his grip on my wrist was still tight. He wouldn't allow me to embarrass him in any way. "I didn't want to dirty my hands. I let this girl spar with her."

"This girl?" it pushed my buttons when somebody doesn't like to acknowledge that they know me. I slightly raised my voice, causing most of the Sabertooth members to look into our direction. The Master didn't seem to be phased. He wasn't looking at me, but I could tell that he was thinking of me. He didn't say much for the next few moments.

Sting sighed as if he was sorry for bringing me here.

"What business do you have here, brat?" the Master turned on me. I flinched a little, but I couldn't show any sign of fear or weakness... or kindness.

"It's **Clarion**," I emphasized. Who likes to be called this girl, this brat, this person?

"Well, Clarion...," he rose from his throne-like seat. "If you would like to join-"

"Wha?" I interrupted him midway. "Join this guild?"

"Perhaps I made an assumption," he lowered back into a sitting position.

"I'm already in a guild and I'll never leave it."

"Tell me, how long have you been in that so-called guild?"

"... does that matter?" I looked away.

"People change, do they not?" his gaze was piercing and I had to give him eye contact to look confident. No way would I let Sting bring me to a place where I would show a weaker side. My fists were now clenched to the extreme and my teeth gritted.

"So what if I've only been in the guild for a few days? Things happen. I was wrongfully put in the wrong guild for most of my life. I am a descendant of the first Master and it is my honor to be in her guild. I'll protect the guild and everyone in it. The atmosphere is full of life, full of happiness and warmth. In here, it feels like a dictatorship. You either feel arrogance or fear. This won't be able to compete with my guild."

The entire guild was in utter silence. The sounds of small talk between members were now gone. The stage was us, and the leading role was me. Like an actor should do, you act in character.

"What is this guild you are in?"

"That doesn't matter."

"But do you know why your guild isn't the most powerful guild in Fiore?"

"I do know why," I said without hesitation. "Circumstances happened, but we are ready to climb back up."

"Alright, enough," Sting pulled my wrist. "Master, I ask you permission to show her the way of the strongest guild. How we run things around here. How we manage to be the most powerful. How we deserve the title. How we plan to always keep that position so long as Sabertooth will stand."

"You have my permission," he quietly said and then proceeded to drink the wine that he already had in his hands.

"You don't have mine-"

"I don't need your permission."

"Well, I don't give a rat's ass how Sabertooth works around here. You have your guild and I have mines."

He ignored me.

"Recently, we had a member of Sabertooth fail a job she accepted."

"So?"

"So... we will show you how we handle when there is failure and weakness among this guild," Sting smirked a little bit and pulled me over to the side. Eerie footsteps were being heard. I looked over to see it was a normal member of Sabertooth walking towards Gemma. I looked over at Sting with a concern look on my face. He seems moved back by my sudden expression, but I ignored his reaction.

"You're not going to beat her up are you...," I asked seriously but in a quiet tone so that no one could hear us that well.

"Do you really think we're a guild that's like that?" Sting responded in a whisper.

"Well...," I'm not going to lie... they do look like a guild that would beat up their own members.

"Well, if we were... we wouldn't be a legal guild," he said. "The Magic Council will never approve a guild that conducts physical abuse within their boundaries."

"I guess...," I rolled my eyes over to the woman. She was quite tall with long flowing pale, blonde hair. If you look close enough, she could be an older version of Mavis-dono. Her face looked much more mature within bright, blue eyes. The waviness of the hair paralleled Mavis-dono's hair. She looked promising if I were to ever fight her. She had a few cuts and bruises along with a cast on her arm. The job she has taken must have been a serious one if it caused her to get so beat up like that. "What are you going to do then? What makes it so serious that I have to watch?"

"This is just to make you shut up about us."

"What do I say?"

"You're obviously always critical of us."

"I apologize if it seems like that, but I honestly don't really care. You guys are just harsh in my opinion... it's not like you have to take it to heart. Aren't people entitled to have their own thoughts?"

"Just watch it okay?"

"Fine," I scoffed at him. I watched the scene behind a few Sabertooth members with an unamused face. "Can you at least let go of my wrist?"

"No," he said without looking at me.

"Why not?"

"Can't open up the possibility of you leaving my side."

I couldn't make out whether or not he meant that. My heart started beating a little bit harder. I could feel my cheeks feel a little bit warmer, but I quickly snapped out of it. There is no way that I could be flattered by such a comment. He just thinks that I would just leaving the Sabertooth building is all... and nothing more. The grip he had on my wrist loosened up a bit, and I could have just forced him to let go and stand there to prove him that I wouldn't leave. But I like the feeling a little bit... of him holding onto me... like that time where he was the first person to be there when I escaped that little, tight prison cell.

...

"What?" Sting looked at me.

I snapped my wrist out of his grasp. I didn't look at him, and I kept my eyes under the shadows of the bangs that fell over my forehead. I didn't say another word to him. Sting didn't try to grab my wrist again and sighed. It sort of made me uneasy seeing somebody that could look like my mother. Then again, I can't even picture my mother's face anymore.

Gemma yelled out her name and proceeded to openly state any flaws that he believes that she has. His voice was raised to the point where it was obvious that it was meant for every Sabertooth member to hear. One after another, he listed out everything that he dislikes about her. He had full confidence in his opinions. He said every word as if it were facts.

She pleaded for forgiveness. It was heart breaking seeing someone beg like that. Personally, I would never ask for mercy, for pity, for sympathy.

Gemma seemed to appealed to her, but decided to give her some sort of punishment. It disgusted me how she was being so submissive.

"Is that what you wanted me to see...? A punishment?"

Sting nodded.

"... can't you just tell me what happens?" I asked him, honestly not wanting to witness what could happen.

"Are you going to leave my side?"

I didn't say another word. If I left, he would never let it go. I forced him to free my wrist for the sole reason that I won't leave as he would think. My damn big ass mouth... I was afraid what will happen. If it was something that is going to scar me, then I didn't want to see it. As much as this guild annoys me with their over-the-top beliefs, I honestly didn't want to see anything that would cause me to hate Sabertooth. A guild is a guild and I want to experience how it feels to have sincere guild mates.

"What do you fear the most?" Gemma asked. The woman hesitated for a moment. Gemma grew more angry and demanded an answer to his request. Almost to the brink of tears, she finally gave in.

"I-I am... af-afraid of.. death," she admitted. She was visibly shaken and scared to the point where sweat kept dripping down.

That was my breaking point. No matter what it is, I couldn't bear to watch what they had in store for her. Even if torture is illegal within a guild, humiliation was something else. I don't even want to visualize how they would ever humiliate her with the fear of death. Illusion Magic perhaps, but I can't stand to see someone be forced to face their fears. All I could do was picture myself in her position. Being hit with something that you never want to face in your life, it is torture to me. Cupping my ears and shutting my eyes, I stormed out the Sabertooth building. I purposely let my footsteps stomp the floor to prevent myself from hearing Sting's footsteps come after me.

"Sting...?" I thought as I looked back. He wasn't there at all. It made me frown a little bit, but I suppose that I couldn't expect him to go after me or anything. I was a little familiar with the area and decided to go back to that training spot. I wasted too much time and I have to train harder. Sparring won't do much for me and I need to get into more advanced stages of my Lock Magic.

"Hey, there you are."

... Oh now he shows up, stupid Sting.

"... hey," I greeted him without looking at his face.

"You did leave my side," he sounded serious, but a little concerned at the same time.

"I don't want to see it, I don't."

"But-"

"No matter what it is.. it's going to cloud my thoughts. It'll make me think differently about Sabertooth... and make me think different about you... and Yukino... and maybe Rogue... and... stuff," the words were not coming out of my mouth the way I want it to. "I might be lying to myself... but if you guys have a dirty little secret, then keep it to yourself."

"I can't tell if you're being weak or just... if I am not use to being around someone like you."

"Why would I be weak?"

"You just make it sound like that you can't handle the truth."

"Well, you make it sound like everything is just a game. You don't seem like you never want to lose. Why are you investing your time into showing me around your guild? You purposely act harsh in front of me. Why is that?"

"A game... huh," his attention drifted off. He wasn't looking at me anymore as his gaze wandered past me. He looked lost in his own mind. It took me a couple of tries to snap him back out of his train of thoughts. When he did, he still looked serious and almost eerie. "This isn't a game get some fun out of you anymore..."

I took a step back, intimidated by his sudden comment. He crept closer to me. Our faces were close again, except this time, he looked as if he was intending to do something horrible. His face was so serious that I was afraid to do anything rash to him. I could feel my insides tremble. I couldn't move and I was terrified what was going to happen next. He just kept staring at me and I was getting restless to wait for the rest of his comment.

"It will be more intoxicating to break that protective barrier you put up around you..."

I took a step back.

"What... are you talking about?"

"You know exactly...," he stepped forward.

I wanted to deny it, I really did. Ever since Zeref had disappeared, I felt like I had to protect myself to the fullest. I couldn't let Zeref's care go to waste with me leaving this world. Blocking the world like how it blocks Zeref... is that all I have been doing? I never wanted to get hurt, at least emotionally. I suppose losing that one person that is important to me would break me down mentally... and to prevent it happening again, I would have to build walls around me... I am still being suffocated. I even reserve myself from my devils, the closest things I have to Zeref... but also his necklace.

But I have Fairy Tail now... I have Mavis-dono now. I have something new to protect and stay alive for. I have more reasons to get stronger. I don't need barriers. I don't need someone like Sting to try and break something down that doesn't even exist. I need to live up to my word. I'll never lose to the likes of Sabertooth. Keep my enemies closer, and I'll be closer to being stronger.

"What do you know about me?" I snapped back at him. The random change in character caused him to get startled a bit. But he was quite use to things like that and went back to his serious demeanor.

"I know enough that you are someone that is weak and in a guild that can never compare to Sabertooth."

"Go fuck yourself," I stormed off, but not before giving him another punch to his face. It was hilarious. I could tell that he was growling with anger behind me, but whatever with him.

* * *

><p>Nothing was bright about the town except for the dim lights that were lit during the darkest time of the day. It wasn't that late at all, but there wasn't a single soul walking the streets... at least where I was at anyways. I still felt my body being all tense and it wasn't a great feeling. I constantly had to sigh to help let out the adrenaline that I felt in me. My heart was beating slowly, but harder than usual.<p>

I suddenly felt dizzy and light headed. Maybe it was because of the heated encounter with Sting... or maybe not. My vision was getting blurred and I could feel my muscles stop functioning. I felt heavy and my legs gave out. The last thing I remember before completely blacking out was dropping to my knees and the feeling of being lifted away.

I was probably coming down with something. I expected myself to wake up in a bed or something. It was probably Sting again. He usually tends to follow me around and probably caught me not being myself. Then again, we did have that argument and I did hurt him. Though, when has he not been there so far? Even if he is stupid and a jerk, I would count on him on some situations... even if I didn't want to. He can be a good person... ugh, I should stop changing my mind about him.

My consciousness came back, but I still couldn't see anything. My vision was still out of commission, but at least I was aware now. I heard some footsteps and some conversation. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed that none of those voices was Sting... or anyone else I knew. I tried to move around, but I was bound to something.

"Now," I heard a voice. Sounded somewhat high pitched, but with a sinister tone behind it.

I heard an electrifying sound. My eyes widened, but I still couldn't see shit. My eye sight was still pitch black. As I heard the sound come closer, I managed to free myself from something that felt like ropes. But it hit me.

A surge of pain ran across my body... my vision became clear. At least I could see now... but I couldn't move as this thunder thing was attacking every inch of my flesh. It felt like my insides were being burned and I felt weaker and weaker. When the lightning thing was done, I fell to the floor, but I could barely move. I tried reaching for my locks, but they were gone. I looked up to see one of the guys twirl the ring around his finger. I attempted to stand on my feet, but another guy just stomped on me to keep me in place.

"Who are you guys?" is what my eyes were showing.

There were about five guys. None of them seem to be physically strong or anything. They all had the same facial expression that said that they will be doing something bad to me. To make up for their lack of strength, they were using dirty tricks. Striking me when I'm distracted, electrocuting me for paralysis, and taking away any possible threat against them. I notice a few Sabertooth marks on them. It angered me to the extent of giving it my all. I don't care if its going to be bad for my body, I've had enough of Sabertooth's harassment.

Lifting myself up, to the surprise of the guys, I destroyed almost everything inside that small wooden room. Thankfully, it wasn't small enough for me to feel any suffocation or choking within it. It was difficult for me to hit one of guys since my body is still groggy. I didn't realize that one of the guys was right behind me. He grabbed me from behind which I easily managed to kick him off. But then, three or two more guys came to grab me instead. I struggled a lot, but I was getting more tired.

The guy I kicked earlier approached me. He had a sinister looking face, almost as if he was tainted with insanity. I closed my eyes and braced myself. He grasped my neck in a choke hold, but didn't put any forced into it.

I felt my Magic literally be drained away. It was a scary feeling. If this kept going, I will have no strength left in me anymore. Pulling together the rest of my energy onto my leg, I kicked the guy between his legs. It was effective enough to have the grip on me loosen. However, one of the guys threw a punch at me without warning. I managed to cross my arms and block the impact, however, the forced made me fall over. Continuously, pain ran across my stomach and my back. I was getting kicked and stepped on with harsh movements. That bastard earlier purposely had my Magic sucked out to prevent me from using any form of it. I coughed out multiple times and bruises were being more prominent as time went on.

"Why...," is all that could come out of my mouth.

"Why?" one of the guys grabbed me by the neck and forced me up. He may seem weak, but he is strong enough to lift me off the ground with just one grasp. "We don't like you..."

"What did I even do?" the pain caused me to wince and talking made it even worse, but I had to say something.

"Ever since you came to this town, you've caused nothing but trouble," another guy said behind me.

"No one is allowed to associate with Sabertooth, especially someone like you."

"Not even a member of Sabertooth and yet you think you can do all that big talk? You are just a nobody."

"What do you even know..." I said under my breath as I slowly raised my head. There was a shocked expression of the assumed ring leader of the group.

"W-Why are yo-your eyes.. red? Weren't they just black?"

I completely lost myself. I didn't know why, but I felt a new brand of Magic had taken over my body. I felt strong and it was exhilarating. Using hand-to-hand combat, I fended off the Sabertooth members. It felt like Magic about to be released from my body. A white wave suddenly appeared from inside of me and swirled around the little cabin-like room. The wood was rapidly decaying much to their surprise and mines. As much as I was curious why I just did that, I couldn't let my guard down. The shocked members, now fearful, tried to run. I didn't allow it. I noticed that I was faster, stronger, and more durable than before. But, after just a few minutes, that sensation went away and I was back to being weak. The guys I pummeled were unconscious and those that were awake were too scared to even move. At least one of them ran off, and probably the one that had my locks. Fuck. Figures, the best thing I could now was to leave this shit hole. I left the only door opening using the nearly broken walls for supported. I had to be careful when putting my weight on it because it could give in.

When I went outside, it was the middle of the night. The little cabin place was not too far from the Sabertooth headquarters. In fact, it was literally behind a building near the edge of town. I felt extremely horrible, but I had to go somewhere. I notice that this place was pretty much on the outskirts of town. I limped over to that one training area to rest a bit before going anywhere else. I didn't dare go to Sting or Sabertooth for that matter... I'm already ticked at how they let guild members do these things to other people. Its disgusting... but also scarring.

I thought I've seen the worst in a guild... but experiencing this... just makes me wonder. How much of the world have I really been missing? Is this the reality that I've been stripped of?

I saw two little figures in the distance. Recognizing them, I tried to avoid it.. but I had no choice. I was in trouble and I still did not have my devils. I thought that my lack of Magic would summon at least Lucifer, but I suppose that they would only show up near wear their locks where. Well, this is not good.

"Lector...?" I recognized the red, tuxedo cat exceed with his companion, Rogue's exceed, Fro.

"Clarion-kun?" he calls me that to spite me, but I grew use to it. "What are you doing here?"

It kind of ticked me off how he's not question how messed up I look. I suppose the darkness of the night had to do with it, but the moonlight was still bright enough that he would see me... I don't know... limping and bleeding?

"You don't even notice that I looked like shit right now?"

"You look normal to me," he mocked as I visibly grew an anger mark.

"Fro thinks so too!"

"You don't have to agree!" the raise in my voice was taking a toll on my health, but my temper didn't allow myself to think straight. I grabbed Lector by grasping hold on each side of his unbuttoned vest. "Because of your dumb ass guild, I got assaulted!"

"Sabertooth? Assault? Don't make me laugh!" he didn't seem intimidated by me anymore. He sprouted out angelic wings, Aera, and proceeded to headbutt me. He landed an attack right on my cheek, causing me to fall back a little. The impact caused my head to spin around a moment before restoring itself to normal. Fro had also used his own Aera to try and hold back an unusually, aggressive Lector. "Why do you think that you can just insult Sabertooth like that? Who do you think you are?"

"I think... I'm a person entitled to my own opinions!"

I attempted to retaliate with a weak punch, but Fro used all his strength to fly Lector out of the way. I was going to fall over, so I grabbed onto Lector to take him down with me. I was tripping all over the place, desperate trying not to fall completely. However, there was a rocky ledge on the side of the field. Can anything else get worse?

Submitting to the gravity, I fell over and started rolling down the side. Lector and Fro came along with me since I didn't let go of Lector and Fro didn't let go of him. We started getting scrapes and cuts from the rocks and soon enough, the loosening of the rocks causing more of them to fall. The natural mosaics started coming apart and starting a rock avalanche. I saw a little opening to a cave down below, just before the end of the line. It was the only way to prevent ourselves getting crushed. It caused more pain, but I was able to wiggle a bit to move our falling path toward the cave. I held the two exceeds tightly in my arms and I braced for the impact. I successfully managed to squeeze into the cave, still holding onto Lector and Fro. The falling rocks fell over the opening and block the entrance completely.

* * *

><p>"Sting... what is that?" Rogue came into the guild building not to long ago. Instantly noticing the bruise left off that Sting desperately tried to cover from his partner. He claimed it was nothing. "Was it... Clarion? ... again?"<p>

"Shut it, Rogue...," Sting stubbornly said with a child-like expression across his face. He looked as if he was just a kid and was put in a time out. "Where's Lector and Fro?

"They went up ahead. They are to wait for us at the border of the town until we are finished with the preparations. The job is still being processed," he said and paused for a moment. "You two... have an interesting relationship."

"Her? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"One moment you two seem to like each other... and the next, you are both prepared to tear each other apart."

Sting shrugged off Rogue's comment and the two headed over to their destination. Their Master had ordered them to investigate a neighboring town due to recent reports that a group of guys are harassing multiple groups of people. There have been witnesses that claim that the men were of the Sabertooth guild. Gemma, of course, denies this. So, Sting and Rogue need to catch the guys and dismiss the claims.

"That's strange, they're not here," Sting looked in every direction of the field with no prevail. "Do you think they just went on?"

"It would appears so, but that seems out of character."

"Bleh, let's just go already. They were probably thinking that the faster we settle this, the faster we can get back home," Sting started to walk in a carefree manner. Rogue sighed at his partner's relaxed state.

* * *

><p>Even if my eyes were shut closed, I knew it was dark, so dark. It was also cold... very cold. My arms were shaking uncontrollably. My teeth clenched and my tight squeeze on the two exceeds grew nondetachable. I was afraid to let go of them, but I also wanted to protect them too. It was a close off area. To be a little more optimistic, I don't feel as bad in a closed off area. If this cave was smaller, then I would probably go insane. It helps me when I remind myself that this sort of thing is like a room. I always had my door closed in my room... but this was obviously different. It makes me extremely uncomfortable when there isn't any possibility of communicating with the outside world. Like always, I feel trapped.<p>

"C-Clarion-kun-" Lector thought I was asleep and tried getting my attention.

"I-I won't let go!" I impulsively said out loud. "N-No matter what, I-I'll get you guys o-outta here!"

"Fro thinks so too...," the little dressed frog said quietly. But the small, timid comment made me feel better. I slowly opened my eyes to see the heads of Lector and Fro turned back to look at me. They were both a little roughed up, but they were fine. At least, they looked better than me. The blood from my head, arms, and around my mouth had now dried up. The scratches and cuts were now scabbed over. And my bruises were still visible around my arms and legs.

Still holding them in my arms, I got up on my feet. My legs were struggling a lot and my body was still so sore. I went closer to the rocky wall to examine. Lector touched the barrier.

"It feels solid shut...," his head lowered at the disappointment. "I don't think we can call for help... even if we scream."

My head suddenly felt light-headed. My body suddenly felt like it was giving out. My knees were shaking and fell down to my legs, leaning against the side of the cave. My breathing became short and I found myself inhaling and exhaling repetitively. Even if I told the two that I wouldn't let go of them, my arms were next to give out. They didn't seem to mind, but it was nice seeing their concern over my deteriorating health.

"What's wrong, Clarion-kun?" Fro was the first to say.

They let me down to lay on my back. My head was starting to burn and trickles of sweat fell down. Why am I getting sick now? NOW? I never get sick, at least up to my knowledge. I remember Hades commented on my immune system before. He would say that my little piece of Zeref would always protect me, in sickness and in health or something. Which would make it odd seeing how I always wear the silver, circle-shaped necklace that Zeref gave to me.

I held up my hand to my chest and I felt nothing, something missing. I felt like my chest was going to cave in. My chest felt naked. I couldn't find it. Not even the string thing to it was secured. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. It probably fell off when I went into that rampage back at that wooden cabin thing. I was starting to breath faster and faster. Talking a lot would cause me to lose my breath. I felt like I was in hell.

"Don't worry, Clarion-kun," that was probably the nicest thing Lector has ever said to me. "When Sting-kun and Rogue-kun realize that we're missing, they'll come find us!"

"That's great...," I weakly said along with a faint smile.

"Do you think they're there?" Fro asked Lector.

"Probably, we were suppose to go last night..."

"Wait... where?"

" The next town over," Lector notified. "We were suppose to dismiss a claim that members of Sabertooth were harassing some people over there. Of course, our members would never do that!"

"Fro thinks so too!"

"Never.. huh?" I looked down on my bodily injuries. "Get to know your guild mates before you make accusations..."

"Whatever," and we went back to the distance between us. It was nice while it lasted.

With that leaving off, I drifted to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Everything was dying around me. I don't understand why. A white wave of Magic was turning black around me. The trees were dying, the grass was decaying, everything in the air was the scent of death. I was on my knees, just witnessing everything that was going on.<br>_

_"Zeref...," I said out loud.  
><em>

_"Clarion...," he responded, but no where to be seen. The swirling black Magic wave continue to surround me.  
><em>

_"What is all this?" I asked him.  
><em>

_"_You will soon know the truth_," his voice started to fade away. "With time, everything will start to come together."  
><em>

_Time. I always hated being patient. I was doing nothing but be patient these years. But then I soon questioned what is Zeref doing now. 7 years had gone by and who knows where he went. The feeling of his existence never left me. So he is somewhere on Earthland right now... doing something. But like how Zeref would tell me... I will know in time._

* * *

><p>"WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"<p>

"This is..."

"These are pictures of the members of Sabertooth that victims claim to have harassed them."

Sting and Rogue met up with a representative of the town. He revealed photographs of the perpetrators of the recent incidents. The images were legitimate with the Sabertooth crest shown explicitly. Sting threw the pictures aside the table. He wasn't buying it, however, he also didn't want to believe it. Rogue had a similar belief but still kept his cool and calm facade. A good Samaritan and witness took the pictures and turned them in to the authorities. Others had witnessed the Sabertooth members return to their respective guild town, much to the shock of Sting and Rogue.

"Please settle this case given with an appropriate punishment," the man said closing his eyes and cupping his hands together in a mature manner. "Otherwise, I'll be forced to report this to the Magic Council. You don't want the number one guild in Fiore to disband, do you?"

"Sabertooth members don't do this... do they?" Sting, finally losing doubt, questioned his fellow partner. He couldn't bear to deal with the news that his own guild would stupidly threaten the reputation. So much was at stake and Sting knew very well that no member would risk that chance.

"I would not know. Even if we may be from the same guild, we are not close with one another. We go by strength in our guild, not by morals or values."

Sting had to admit it was true, but couldn't bear to show it. Leaving town, they realized that they still could not find their respective exceed partners.

"What if...," Rogue was about to bring up the worst. Sting shushed him before he could finish, however.

* * *

><p>Finally entering their town, they notice the strange absence in the streets. Usually, many people would be walking around considering that it was noon. After walking around a little, they notice a few girls run towards the other side of town. Curious, they followed that direction to find a big crowed surrounding a wrecked, wooden shack. A few authorities, including some minor Sabertooth members, were trying to control the crowd. One member had recognized the duo.<p>

"Sting-sama, Rogue-sama!" he called over.

"What's goin' on here?" Sting asked.

"Some guys from the guild were found inside and beaten up really badly...," he looked down a little. "They were sent to get medical attention... but right now, we're trying to find the person responsible."

"Let's go, Sting," Rogue walked by the two and entered the scene that was nearly going to collapse any moment. It was just him and Sting looking around the area. As Sting was walking around and kicking through the rubble, he heard a little cling and felt his foot move aside a small pebble. "What did you find?"

"A... necklace?" Sting held up the necklace, surprisingly still perfectly intact, and examined it. He seen it before. "It's... hers."

"Clarion?" Rogue turned around and Sting nodded. Standing up and putting the adornment into his pocket, he had a serious look on his face.

"She's not the type to just attack people without reason... and I don't see why she would ever come to this side of town. These guys must've been the attackers and she probably had to do all of this just to escape. The blood must be hers...," he felt saddened for a moment, but quickly went back to a determined look. He ran out of the debris and Rogue following behind him.

He was heading for his Master, Gemma, to report the members. If Sabertooth plays it right, their reputation still be solid strong if they make a proper punishment which was likely to be excommunication. Midway through their running montage, a figure stopped them in their path.

Pale skin. Somewhat, angelic appearance. Blue Pegasus member? Nah...

"May we help you?" Rogue was first the speak. Sting was a little more agitated and annoyed by the obstacle. "We are in a hurry."

"Where... is Clarion-chan...," his voice was able to send chills down the Sabertooth member's spine. Twirling between his fingers were miniature padlocks. Sting, recognizing this, became more hostile. Impulsively, he grabbed the stranger's wrist that had the ring of locks. The shared stares of death.

"Where did you get that?" Sting asked with the voice intent to cause bodily harm.

"A bastard had it in his possessions...," he stopped twirling the ring and held it tightly in his hand. "In the case of this, I would be attracted to the necklace of Clarion-chan... so why do you have it in your possession..."

"I'm holding it for her... I'm going to find her."

"I suppose we have the same intentions then...," he backed off a little. "Help me find my Clarion-chan, and I won't cause any destruction."

"Who are you anyways...," Rogue intervened.

_"YOUR CLARION?" _Sting blurted out, but his behavior was ignored.

The man, slightly taller than Sting, bowed in an elegant fashion. Then, lifted his head to speak.

"Lucifer, devil of the sin of pride, and I serve Clarion-chan."

* * *

><p><strong>(" o w o ) oh my... but... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING, I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED! GAHAHFKALJFLASFA I WISH FAIRY TAIL WOULD UPDATE MORE OFTEN BLARGHIAHSHDFLA;SJDFL! DON'T FORGET TO FAVORITEALERT/REVIEW IF YOU DIDN'T ALREADY! IT REALLY MAKES MY DAY AND.. I'll stop talking in all caps now... hope you guys have a nice rest of your day, hugs and loves!**


	8. Chapter 8: If Only

**Thank you guys so much for reading this far and putting up with my flaws/mistakes/and what not! I really appreciate that you taken your time to read my fanfic! *sniff* *sniff*... Thanks again for the reviews, favs, and alerts! Enjoy!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>Before the special case summoning... Lucifer, running through the depths of Hell, was desperately trying to gather up all other devils of sin. Despite being connected through each other by one Master, the sins do not interact with each other often. The Devil Spirit World was a tad more gloomy and sinister looking than its counterpart, the Celestial Spirit World. But like any home of spirits, it caters to their needs. The skies were always red, and the night, surprisingly, hardly ever falls. It consisted of many floating islands, similar to Edolas, that serve different purposes. Devils can easily maneuver themselves between each rock.<br>_

_"What is it, Lucifer...," Amon through over his terribly threatening sword over his shoulder. Even if his face was hidden behind a devil-like mask, he never fails to be explicit about his feelings.  
><em>

_"Yeee-ah... I wassssss... inthemiddle... ofsheeeleeeepinnggg!" Belphe was slurring her words and rocking back and forth while sitting on the ground. Her bath-like robe looked as if it was going to fall off any moment if she continued to move side-to-side.  
><em>

_"... Levi, please?" Lucifer sighed as he face palmed his forehead. Leviathan, already knowing Lucifer's request, used her Paraylze Magic to prevent Belphegor from moving around so much... and to shut her mouth.  
><em>

_"Is this about Clarion-sama?" Mammon stepped forward. Despite the tone of her voice being calm and soft, everyone knew how dead serious she was being when it comes to that one person every sin is assigned to protect. Hesitantly and resentfully, Lucifer nodded.  
><em>

_"If Claire-chan is critically injured then why do you need to gather all of us?" Asmodeus questioned with his arm crossed.  
><em>

_"Yeah, aren't you the only one that is able to unlock yourself into Earthland?" Levi commented, almost sounding like she was jealous of Lucifer's given ability. She had one eyebrow raised and her hands on her hips.  
><em>

_"There's more to it...," Lucifer replied. "Clarion-chan ran out of Magic, so his Magic took its place."  
><em>

_"So, she was in that state?" Amon questioned.  
><em>

_"Apparently, she is only able to keep that state for a few minutes... and in that state...," Lucifer paused with his heart beating so hard that it could be felt by the others. "She managed to pull off an actual spell."  
><em>

_"W-What do you mean an 'actual spell'?" Levi blurted.  
><em>

_"Don't tell me..."  
><em>

_"She didn't take away any lives... thankfully," Lucifer sighed and looked to the ground. "Her heart is so pure that the Magic isn't naturally threatening to others."  
><em>

_"But still...," Mammon spoke up. "When white fades to black, the truth is closer to unfolding..."_

_The devils turned silent, half of them started looking down. What Mammon was saying is true, however. Since Zeref had personally assigned these devils to protect his precious "Dark Child", they know things that are meant to be reveaed one day or another. That time is near and looks as if it is approaching at a surprising rate. Whatever they had to say, they didn't want to say it.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Walking quickly on a dirt path, there was a tense silence between Lucifer and Sting... and Rogue who was waking next to Sting. The skies were clear of clouds and the breeze was as still as water can be. Footsteps were the only noises being heard. Lucifer, walking behind the the duo, had still kept his cool demeanor intact while Sting was being close to losing it. He already can't stand a stranger that has some sort of close relationship with someone that he had an on-off feelings with. Though, that has started questioning his own feelings.<p>

"So, where exactly are we going?" Lucifer spoke, not letting a single piece of emotion slip out. His hands were in his pockets, his head down, and his eyes closed softly. Rogue looked behind him for a moment, but returned to looking straight ahead.

"Following the scent of sweat and blood."

"Is that what Clarion-chan always smells like? Not surprised...," Lucifer pulled out a smirk across his face.

"I was being sarcastic," Sting looked back at the devil. He still did not really believe in the whole devil bit. Frankly, he was in denial who Lucifer really was.

"Really now?" Lucifer lifted one eye to open, giving off a superior demeanor over Sting.

"Well she does smell like sweat...," Sting admitted and turned back to the front to hide his soft blush. "And... coffee."

"Clarion-chan likes coffee very much," Lucifer mentioned. "Light sugar and plenty of milk."

"Does she?" Sting replied without wanting to continue the conversation further, however, his curiosity took over. The pace picked up a little as they got closer to the field. "What is your relationship with her?"

"Clarion-chan? I told you. I serve her," Lucifer repeated himself. The quietness from Sting caused Lucifer to extend his answer to something to satisfy the Sabertooth Mage. "I am assigned to protect her, along with many other members. Somewhat like guardians and somewhat like body guards. However, it is up to Clarion-chan whether or not she wants to summon us. Due to her stubborn independence, and maybe a little selfish attitude, it is rare for us to even be here."

"I see...," Sting said almost relieved. The relationship seemed professional and a bit family-like for it to be any more than that. The thought of this caused Sting to snap his thinking. It felt embarrassing that he was thinking of such thoughts. Frankly, he was afraid to face the truth. Sabertooth was not really what he thought, there were flaws, and consequences that was impacted on a non-member. He felt like he had to make things up.

* * *

><p>"You think that Clarion-kun will be alight?" Fro asked.<p>

"What are you saying? O-Of course she will..." Lector crossed his arms.

The two exceeds were sitting closely next to the the out of commission me. I couldn't sleep due to the heat of my body, and I couldn't even speak well without using so much of the little energy I had. I can notice how Fro and Lector were using the wings of their Aera Magic to create winds to cool down my body. My fever was not going down at all, if anything, it was just rising. My heart kept beating at an erratic rate that it started to hurt my chest. Damn, this situation really sucks.

"Lector... Fro...," I spoke extremely weak. Good thing they were sitting next to me, I think. "I'm sorry."

Before I could hear or feel a reaction, if any, the sound of breaking rocks were heard. One eye opened up to make sure I wasn't going to get more injured than I already am. I forced my head to turn to the direction of the entrance causing my neck to seriously ache in pain. The sunshine from the afternoon sun sped its way to illuminating the dark, damp cave. Lector and Fro immediately realized that it was their respective partners coming to the rescue. It took awhile for my eye to adjust to the sudden brightness, but I also noticed an unusual third figure.

"Luci.. fer?"

Kneeling down close to me, I saw Lucifer smiling out of relief which a tone of sympathy. He had my keys in his possession and attached it back to my shorts without order. Afterwards, he opened his hand to show me the lost trinket I had dropped back at the scene of the assault. I soft smiled to show him my gratitude. Without moving an inch, Lucifer wrapped the necklace around my neck and secured it where it belonged. He leaned over to close to my ear.

"We need to have an important discussion with you soon, Clarion-chan...," he whisper so softly that even I could barely hear him despite the close distance. "Please, take this seriously."

I nodded and responded, "Lock."

Submitting to my habit of suddenly returning my devils, Lucifer bowed in honor before leaving to the Devil Spirit World again. My body still ached a bit, but then I felt myself being lifted up from the ground. Sting, with Lector on his shoulder, was carrying me bridal style and proceeded to walk out of the cave and back to town. The air was silent and quite awkward.

"How... are... you?" Sting awkwardly asked followed by a sigh from Rogue. I gave him a weird look.

"Besides the bruises, sprains, cuts, messed up face, sore body, blood loss, fever... I'm fine," I replied with an obvious attitude towards him and a pout. My voice was slightly hoarse, but it was enough for him to understand me.

"We'll take you to Sabertooth's infirmary, okay?" he said as if he was trying to make things up with me.

"I don't need your help," I coldly told him. "There's no need, okay?"

"But-"

"I'll be fine.. just dump me somewhere."

"You were already dumped somewhere before we came along!"

"You could've just let me stay there to rest and take Lector and Fro!"

"Are you stupid?"

"Maybe I am!"

"Can you two be quiet for a second?" Rogue's patience was at his limit. "We're here."

"Here where?" I asked.

"Sabertooth's infirmary... Sting's pace became faster while you two were bickering like immature children," he led us into an empty, hospital-like room that had a few beds. "Now, you are getting medical assistance and you are going to accept it."

I backed off a little and Sting started to snicker.

"And _you_ will watch after her while I go check up on this regarding the culprits to the controversy."

...

* * *

><p>"Rogue gets scary when he's annoyed, huh?" I worked up a conversation while Sting was disinfecting the cuts from my leg and wrapping it tightly with some clean bandages.<p>

"The same goes to you, doesn't it?"

"Well, same with you too," I didn't look him in the eye.

"Same with anybody," he moved onto my arm and noticed the bandage that was still covering my Fairy Glitter mark, indicating my affiliation. The gauze was very messy and was on the verge of just falling apart. We both took a moment to just stare at the deteriorating material, then proceeding to look at each other.

"Um...," I looked away, not knowing what to say. Should I let him know that I am a Fairy Tail member? Would that make a difference in anything? I should, at least, think into consideration that he is a total ass. Even so, I have this feeling that I should be honest with him. He is taking care of me, and should telling him my guild make anything better? Does he want to know where I'm coming from? I don't really know. Why am I even pondering over this? My train of thought snapped out when I felt the touch of a warm hand over my Fairy Tail crest.

"I don't really care what guild you are in," he said while just looking at his hand masking over a part of my identity. "So, I won't know until the games, okay?"

"O-Okay," I sighed in almost relief.

It was quite confusing though. Why can't I just tell him? It shouldn't even make him thinking anything less or more about me. But, frankly, I am guilty for my own ignorance. Sabertooth has its own dirty secrets that I can't bear to know. Should I even know about anything that Sabertooth hides? Is it normal for outsiders to interact so freely with other guilds?

Suddenly, a massive feeling of Magical energy filled the room. Sting seemed to know what was coming and quickly went into a respectful bow. I proceeded to finish up the bandages on my forearms and band aids on my face myself. Out came from the door, was none other than their muscular, elderly-looking, big-nosed Master. He looked the same as always and his emotions can never be read. His face looked like he was serious though. Then again, he just looks the same all the time.

"Yo, Gemma!" I winked at him and gestured a playful salute. He looked as if he was going to talk back, but he decided to just let out a sigh and let it go. He sat in the seat close by and Sting looked confused.

"Brat or not...," an anger mark appeared behind my head. "I could never begin to imagine myself apologizing. I will not apologize to the likes of you, Clarion Ferez."

"Its fine-" I stopped after realizing what he just said. I looked up at him to see if he really said what I think he just said. Really? He was serious and he has not moved a single muscle. The arrogance that lies within Sabertooth did not budge a single change. They will never admit inperfection, admit weakness, or admit mistakes. "Wait. What?"

"I will not be looked down upon."

"Who said anything about looking down on you? YOUR FUCKING MEMBERS GANGED UP ON ME! EVEN SO, I SAVED TWO OF YOUR OTHER MEMBERS FROM BEING CRUSHED BY FALLING DEBRIS!"

"I do not like the feeling of having to make up for incidents," I sighed at Gemma's stubborn argument. But I guess we both have something in common. If I was him, I would definitely feel like making it up to someone that got hurt cause of me. But I wouldn't even be able to start to know what is a good compensation. Either way, that wasn't the reason behind his refusal to apologize. He is being a little cocky jerk. "What will it take for you to keep quiet about this matter?"

"Keep quiet? You wouldn't have to even ask me! I wasn't going to say anything," I crossed my arms and he scoffed at the gesture.

"I dare you to continue that attitude. The fact that my sources can not even find your affiliation says that you are not even a long-term member. I bet that if I eliminate you now... they won't even notice any change."

"That isn't true," I talked back. "The guild I'm in isn't like this one. You guys don't give a shit about new members, clearly."

"We will see about-" Gemma looked as if he was going to strike a blow.

"W-Wait! Master!" Sting appeared between us much to both of our surprise. He was absolutely terrified beyond what I've ever seen. It was the first time I saw him cowering in fear. I didn't know what he was so scared of though. Scared of his Master? Or scared of me getting involved? "I will make sure she will keep quiet about this matter."

Gemma backed off without a change in expression, but the tension seemed to died down a little. Judging by his lack of reaction, he seemed to have agreed to Sting's proposal.

"Could I get a place to stay at least? And maybe some food?" I arrogantly spoke up.

"I thought you were staying at my place," to my surprise, Sting spoke back. Sure, I crashed at his place ever since I came here, but I didn't expect him to accept having me stay there the whole time. I'd assume that he would want me to leave as soon as possible.

"Wouldn't you rather have me out?" I asked him.

"W-Well, if I hadn't protected you... then this whole commotion would not have been dropped on our shoulders. So, I guess giving you hospitality would be enough compensation."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," I thanked. "Another thing..."

"What more do you want, brat?" Gemma said rudely.

"Can you make sure that you make sure that I don't attacked anymore?" I pouted. "Get to know who's a part of Sabertooth. I don't care how, but be sure that your members are what you want them to be. Strong or not, okay? It isn't worth having the most powerful Mage ever if they don't give a fuck about the guild."

Gemma nodded and left the clinic. It was strange to see a softer side to Sabertooth... sort of, but it was nice. I was sure though that they would return to their ass-like guild persona when things die down. A guild having to go through a controversy like this? It must be rough on them. But perhaps I could use this time to learn what a guild is like, maybe. And be comfortable with other people. If I can't make nice with strangers, how can I expect myself to be a respected member of Mavis-dono's guild? I still feel out of place and I should take some time to learn where I should be at. How it feels to be a guild mate and all that stuff. I don't see it as a betrayal... besides, make your enemies closer. We are technically rivals here. But something gets the feeling that they are still the same Sabertooth as they were before they met me.

* * *

><p>It took a few days for my fever to get significantly lower, but it took another week for my wounds to heal up enough to fully be able to mobilize the way I want. A dent in my training time caused me to try even harder, but Sting always tries to pull me back to prevent my wounds to open again. Even if they were healed over, the way I move can open up scars maybe. Yukino and I finally started to train together. We thought of strategies together and I helped train her body a little more. Not much, but Yukino really wanted me to help her train on her summonings. Well, whatever training makes you happy. I managed to get a little more strength added in me, and also some defensive maneuvers. Turn your weakness into your strength is something I should take into consideration more often.<p>

"Um... Clarion-sama...?" Yukino's soft-toned voice said. We were at the training spot as always, slightly cloudy, and little cooler than usual.

"You don't have to be so formal Yuki-chan," I told her casually.

"Oh okay...," she was still quite timid. "I heard from Sting-sama that you could summon... spirits?"

Damn that Sting! I was hoping to still keep that a secret! I'll have to talk to him later... it didn't seem fair that Fairy Tail doesn't know a secret of mines, and some other guild does. I guess I have to reveal it one way or another, and soon. I sighed due to the fact that I can't really come up with any lies to cover my Magic up.

"Well uh, they are nothing celestial like yours," I scratched the back of my head. "I'm not quite comfortable relying on them for combat. Remember, Yuki-chan, the weakness of summoning Magics is the summoner themselves. It'd be nice if you weren't so timid. Spirits can't always be there to help you, they might get occupied with other distractions or obstacles. Expect the unexpected."

"I suppose you are right...," she started looking down at her feet. "But I'm small and weak."

"You can't have that attitude if you are going up against other guilds at the Grand Magic Games," I winked at her. "You can try compensating for that with evasive moves."

Her mood quickly brightened and I swear that I saw her smile for the first time since I met her. She is actually becoming someone I would consider a friend. We would spend time with each other a lot, training or not, when I'm not crashing at Sting's place. I kind of want to avoid him at times because it gets awkward between us. It is especially weird already that I will be sort of living with him and Lector for awhile. Do normal people do that? It makes me wonder. I would usually just go to Yukino for normal people advice because she is the most normal member of Sabertooth that isn't an ass wipe to the eye.

* * *

><p>Today was a cool off day... you know, those days after you kill yourself over with training? Yeah, apparently over working is bad and so we have to take a break once in awhile when things get rough. Sting forced me to stay at his place for the time being. He knew if he let me out of my own, I would do some form of training. Pfft, what an idiot.<p>

"Say... Lector," I said to get his attention from his lazy state. His nose twitched a little which signified me to continue on with the conversation. "What Magic does Sting use?"

"Sting-kun?" Lector's ears wiggled at the sound of me mentioning Sting without it being a complaint. He lifted his head slightly and raised one eye open. "Sting-kun is the White Dragon Slayer, you know. He is very powerful and he could have annihilated you if he wanted to."

"D-Dragon Slayer?" I stammered.

"Yeah, Rogue-kun is the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Together, they're known as the Twin Dragons," he sat up and wiped his eye. "Why are you wondering?"

"N-Nothing... I was just curious," I looked away. Considering that Fairy Tail has three Dragon Slayers: Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy, it made me wonder how the games will end up. For sure Master would have all three of them compete for the purpose that they would be the most powerful and versatile competitors. I really shouldn't think about it too much. But it makes me think how powerful Sabertooth really is. I can't underestimate them. Wanting to quickly change the conversation, I gave off a cheerful smile to the tuxedo Exceed. "Ever notice how much we've gotten closer?"

"Eh?" Lector became shocked at my random statement. "No way! Sting-kun just so happens to like you, so I have to do the same!"

"You're such a brat," I spat out, ignoring what he just said about Sting.

"Are you sure you are a woman?"

"Are you sure you're not a dog?"

"You want me to tell on Sting?"

"Don't make me shut that big mouth of yours!"

"I dare you, you whore!"

"OH HELL NO!"

"YO!"

We both turned our heads to see Sting with some take out boxes and a few drinks. He looked a little serious, but he didn't want to bother with our bickering. With that, Lector and I stopped arguing and sat near the coffee table to eat lunch. Yet another awkward silence emerged and my appetite quickly diminished as time passed. Either way, I rather finish a meal than to leave it as a waste.

"What's wrong?" Sting asked as he noticed that I was spacing out.

"I should go back," I told him.

"W-wait what? Why?"

"I have my own guild, don't I?"

"Well yeah... but-"

"But what?"

"It was kind of nice having you around. Never if my life would I have thought of being in touch with anybody other than Sabertooth members and all. We always think that we were number one and shouldn't have to deal with anyone else."

"... I don't know if I should be grateful or insulted," I pouted at him.

"Either way you would've smacked me by now," he smirked back.

"I'll give you a freebie, kay?" I smiled at him and stood up.

"You're really leaving?" he frowned and looked away. "The rest of the month will be boring then."

"Maybe you should actually train instead of being a cocky lazy ass," he laughed a little under his breath when he heard my comment.

"I'll see you at the games, then."

"I'll see your ass getting kicked by my guild."

"I'll see you not having a chance at beating our team."

"I'll see your jaw drop at my strength."

"I'll see you fall for me."

"I'll...," I paused and noticed my cheeks started to warm up. "Tell everyone I said bye."

...

"Smooth, Sting-kun...," Lector commented.

"Aw shut up! It usually works!" Sting slouched over and rested his head on the coffee table. "Sometimes I forget that she's in another guild..."

"And she took some money from our savings," Lector noticed as he checked around the bedroom where Sting kept their money.

"She would...," Sting talked with his face pressed against the surface of the table. "I'll get a payment from her on the first day of the games then."

* * *

><p>I quickly left the premises in an abrupt end. My heart is beating very hard and a little bit of cold sweat appeared on my body. I hated it, but I feel so scared being so close to Sabertooth. Something tells me that there is something going on that I should know... but I would never be able to live the same again. Oh well. Using the money I sort of took from Sting and Lector's savings, I took a train back to Magnolia. There is still a few more weeks left until the Grand Magic Games. I still had to get that "serious" talk with Lucifer and the others which perked up my curiosity. It is about Zeref? Now that I think about it, what happened to him when that one dragon hit Tenrou Island? What did he do afterwards? Did he ever think about me? Where is he now?<p>

As I arrived back to Magnoliga and towards the edge of town where the guild hall was, it was so silent. Almost to point where it was eerie. Inside would explain why it was so quiet. Absolutely no Fairy Tail member was inside. All who was in inside was Kinana and Makarov.

"Hello, Makarov," I greeted, but then I realized that I accidentally referred to him by his first name. After years of always referring to him by his name while in Grimoire Heart, it must've turned into a habit. "Sorry... I mean Master."

"It's quite alright child...," Makarov smiled brightly and waved over to greet me inside. "Though, it is quite early for you to be here. All the other members are still out training."

"Yeah... I just thought I should spend more time here, you know? But I guess right now wasn't the right time when no one is even here to get use to." I admitted and sighed. "I feel bad that Mavis-dono had me join Fairy Tail and I'm not even trying to get use to this place and its people."

"It's not your fault," Makarov reassured. "Everyone returned at a very difficult time. I don't blame you at all for it."

"You will sure get your time to get to know Fairy Tail, Clarion-san!" Kinana smiled brightly as she was wiping down a beer mug.

"S-Still-"

"He is right you know."

That angelic, yet child-like, voice. I turned around to see the petite, little ancestor that I come to respect my whole life. Makarov, on the other hand, seemed moved by Mavis-dono's sudden appearance. He nearly fell over the edge of the bar table. Kinana did the opposite and bowed respectfully. She excused herself from the little group to go outside and do some laundry, leaving just me, Makarov, and Mavis-dono.

"F-Fir-Fi-Fi-Fi... FIRST? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"It gets lonely on the island...," Mavis-dono pouted and tilted her head like a little child being scolded. Makarov didn't seem to be moved by the cuteness. "But this is not the time for that... Clarion-chan..."

I twitched a little seeing Mavis-dono's attention turn to me. She looked very serious and it made me nervous what she wanted to speak about next. Slowly walking towards me, she quickly grabbed my ring of padlocks. I tried to question her, but she would not allow it.

"You have some important business to intend to, no?" she said holding out the locks. I hesitated for a moment, but I couldn't lie to her if I tried. Makarov seemed curious and confused at the same time. I hesitated. I intended to keep my devils a secret from the guild. Still, I would have to reveal it one way or another, but not like this... I sighed. At least, it is only the Master and not the entire guild.

"Please, keep it a secret...," Slowly, I summoned the sin of pride, "Unlock: Lucifer."

Like always, Lucifer appears elegant and honorably shown with a bow. He commented how late I was getting back to him, but I shrugged it off.

"One of the 7 Deadly Sins?" Makarov was shocked by my ability to summon a devil, but kept his cool. He examined the rest of my locks. "Don't tell me you have all Deadly Sins in your possession..."

"I do," I admitted truthfully.

"Interesting... the 7 Deadly Sins rival the Zodiac Gates...," he commented and rubbed his chin. "Still, Devil Spirit Magic is quite rare. It is difficult to make contracts with devils and they are known to murder the humans that attempt to do so."

"Oh, don't worry about us sins. We live to serve Clarion-chan so long as we make sure she is alive," Lucifer laughed a little and lightly bowed before Makarov. "But, I am pleased to be in the presence of Master Makarov and Master Mavis."

"Long time no see," Mavis-dono greeted. Lucifer bowed respectfully and returned the greeting.

"W-Wait, wait, wait, wait... How do you two know each other?" I stammered and pointed at the two. They didn't seem to look like they were going to answer me but Makarov took the time to answer the question himself.

"Is it... Zeref?" Mavis-dono nodded.

"Y-You kind of lost me...," I scratched my head. My heart was pounding at the topic of the conversation. Never have I mention Zeref to anyone... at least, not in a very long time. I could feel my mouth dry up at the nervousness.

"1st... what is this all about?" Makarov asked seriously. "Is Clarion who she seems to be?"

I couldn't speak anymore, I just wanted to listen. Mavis-dono has some sort of relationship with Zeref? Is that the reason why Zeref saved me from that rubble from years ago? Those dreams I've had before... were they all true? Did they all specifically mean something to me? What is this?

"Clarion-chan," Lucifer started off. "Weeks ago, I sensed a different Magic coming from you..."

"Different?" I thought for a moment to realize that Lucifer was probably talking about that one time when a black-colored Magic appeared. "Oh, you mean that one time... I kind of wondered about that too... but it just turned back to white the rest of the time, so I didn't really think much of it. What does it mean?"

"I see...," Lucifer held his chin. "So it happens when you are under his Magic then..."

"His Magic?" I questioned.

"When Lord Zeref found you... you were on the brink of death. The quickest way for Lord Zeref to save you on the spot was to give you some of his own Magic. This sort of Magic became a part of you... and has become a sort of back up power for you. The moment your entire Magic is diminished, a moment of Lord Zeref's Magic is used."

"... What does this have to do with that black wave then?"

"Lock Magic... is not the name of the Magic you are using," Mavis-dono revealed. "The name is just a ruse."

"A.. A ruse? What? Don't be crazy!" I backed away for a moment, trying to take in that my own Magic was a lie. "I've... I've always used Lock Magic! All the time! How is it not?"

"When your Magic is in its early stages... the Magic is white... Once you begin to develop and gain more mastery over the Magic, it will turn black. Since Zeref's Magic gave you a boost, your Magic became black... as it should be," she continued.

"If... If its not Lock Magic... what am I?" I looked down at my hands, they were shaking. A part of me was excited because it just felt like my Magic was going to the next level, but I was scared at the same time. It was curiosity that struck me. Zeref purposely told me the wrong name of the Magic he has been teaching me, but what for? What is his reason? Was it something forbidden? I don't know.

"Clarion-chan...," Lucifer pitied the state I was in right now. My Magic was been a lie and even my devils were aware of it and have no told me.

"Clarion," Mavis-dono said to make me raise my head at her. Her eyes, striking me with its serious tone, was enough for me to brace myself. "You are the Black God Slayer... Zeref taught you this for the sole purpose of one day defeating him if no one else can't."

"When Black God Slayer Magic is white... it cannot kill, so it was easy to be covered up."

"I... I am a Black God Slayer? You knew about this the whole time?" Lucifer, with an almost regrettable face, nodded.

I didn't know what was hitting me the hardest. The fact that Zeref taught me a Magic that was meant to kill him... or the fact that he might have never thought of me as someone precious to him. Without a doubt, I always saw him as someone I will always live for, always cherish, always support, and always get stronger for him. If that meant nothing to him, then I was a tool for his suicide... and I never even knew about it. My devils knew... and they never told me anything about this. The true purpose of Zeref giving me the 7 Deadly Sins... was it to really protect me? Or was it to prevent Zeref from losing his one way of leaving this world? Whatever the reason was... I was a tool. If Zeref saw me as someone incapable of wielding the power of a Black God Slayer, then he would've left me under that rubble to die... like everyone else.

Unable to take in the amount of information, I ran off. Somewhere, anywhere... Makarov tried to run after me, but Mavis-dono stopped him. All they did was watch me run. How am I able to cope with this sort of realization? Am I just a killing machine now? ... I can never be able to handle death at all. I can never kill. How am I suppose to live knowing that my Magic is purely for death?

Sting... the White Dragon Slayer... so he must use White Magic... what does that mean... for _us_? Heh... what am I even thinking? Its not like we were meant to be even before I knew that I actually use Black Magic. Why am worrying about him in the first place? This whole ordeal is making my head work in ways it shouldn't... what am I going to do now?

* * *

><p><strong>Future chapters will be slowedhiatus due to lack of information primarily regarding Sting and Zeref! Damn, the manga always gets me worked up cause they keep teasing! Anyways, thank you guys for reading! (:**


	9. Chapter 9: Its Nothing

**Hello my super, awesome, mega, chocolately fudge coated, ultra, awesome readers! Thank you for stopping by with your view and along with the fav/reviews/alerts/and what not! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I AM SUPER DUPER ULTRA SUPER MEGA SUPER SUPER SUPER SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW SORRY... JUST ... AHGAKGHAKDG... :C JUST ENJOY IT CAUSE IM SORRY (\(T A T)/)  
><strong>

* * *

><p>I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I couldn't focus. I couldn't... do anything right. I became afraid. I was terrified of myself. Everything I tried to do, just makes me tremble in fear. If I try to train myself, then I am just making myself one step closer to being a killer. But I suppose... that is what Zeref was. He was a killer, a monster, the most feared person in the world. And yet, his dying wish has been bestowed upon me. I can't... I don't want to handle this sort of burden. One day, I'm the last resort. One day, I'll end a shadow of fear. And one day... I'll lose the most precious person I hold dear.<p>

_"I had always loved Mavis."_

I remember that. Zeref's voice had said those words to me in my dreams. But why me? Mavis-dono is the embodiment of pure, she would never take a life. What makes me different? Why me? I could be a spitting image... but why does it have to be me? He may think that I'm the one that deserves it the most. I can't remember a single day with my family, but... I never held a grudge for it. I've forgiven him, and he will always be forgiven. Is this the way to be? Is this how he intended to "always be with me...?" By giving me his Magic and using it against him as the ultimate punishment for the sins that he committed?

Sin... the sins that he committed... what were they exactly?

I was sitting alone. I reminded of myself of that day. Hades had taken me in and I never grew up. Even if I matured physically... mentally, I'm outright immature. Did Hades know that I was deemed the Black God Slayer? Is that why he searched for me and wanted me in Grimoire Heart? I suppose that would make sense. I might as well be the only living being that had the potential to get rid of Zeref, so Hades wanted to keep a close eye on me. To make sure I didn't progress in my Magic and to make sure that I would always be loyal to the great Zeref... everything had been a lie to me. I suppose the only ones that could tell me the truth now are... my guardians. I make them tell the truth, or they will just continue to lie to me.

"Unlock... Lucifer, Mammon, Asmodeus, Amon, Leviathan, Beezlebub, Belphegor..."

All of them appeared before me. Most of them were surprised, ashamed, or embarrassed to be in front of my presence. I didn't intend to look at any of them in the eye, but none of them tried to look in my direction.

"We... thought you'd never summon us again," Leviathan was the first to speak.

"What do want from us..., Claire-chan?" Asmo asked in a shameful bow.

"Tell me...," I wrapped my arms around my knees and muffled in my voice. "What sins did... Zeref commit?"

At first, the devils were a bit surprised at my random question. It wasn't like they were taken back by my request, but they wouldn't have thought I would still continue to talk about Zeref. It remained quiet for a few more minutes, and Lucifer was the one that started. If I understand the sins that he committed, maybe I would be able to understand why he strives to end himself.

"Sin of pride...," Lucifer started off. "Zeref was immensely proud of his so-called accomplishments that he had set forth. He excessively loved the way he became and thought no one of anyone else. The power emerged throughout his body, the pride he held in his hands. Lord Zeref was _the_ Black God.. the Killing Mage.. the man that everyone should obey... he loved the sound of that name and was proud to be the one to hold it."

"Sin of greed," Mammon stepped forward with her eyes closed, "Zeref-sama had committed the sin of excess. He had a desire for more and more... and demanded it at a rapid pace. He wanted to feel like a king, and thus wanted anything and everything. He wanted to engulf the world with himself. He would not stand for anything less that what he already accomplished that.. only having more was the way to move forward."

"Sin of wrath," Amon spoke next. "Zeref-san was a man full of rage and hate. Anyone steps in his path would be condemned with death and only death. He had an impatience with the world. He corrupted it with his own sense of violence. The world had hated him, and he could not have it any other way. If the world sees him anything other than a man of power, he will end them because to him, they were nothing more than wasted space in the perfect world that he distorted himself."

"Sin of lust," Asmo softly said next, looking far into the distance of the ocean and letting the breeze hit against his skin. "The lust that Zeref had abide to is the intense desire for destruction. The intensity of this caused himself to orchestrate the the world to fall into his desire of power. He had the lust for blood, the lust for power, the lust for everything... including the woman that he fell for."

"Sin of sloth," Belphe said with a sense of seriousness for once. "Zeref would never lift a finger to help another. He had the power to control anything around him with no more than to just think. He lacks a spiritual side as well. He failed to see the good in the world and thus succumbed to the sin. He was a sloth to everything that did not involve himself."

"Sin of envy...," Levi almost spoke in a whisper. "Though, Zeref would be considered as the most powerful in the world. However, he was a man that thought that there would always be someone better. His fear of being defeated and turned into envy. He envied anyone that could surpass him. And... he envied how much he had lost one of his precious loves to someone else..."

There was a pause. There was one sin left, Beezlebub, my devil that rarely spoke a single word or make a single sound. His massive size had shadowed all the other humanoid sized devils. I do not blame him if he did not speak, he would never speak. However, this was not the time to be kind. I looked up at him. He was always in that meditating position.

"Sin... of gluttony," he spoke much to the surprise of the other sins. "Do not come to be among heavy drinkers of wine, among those who are gluttonous eaters of flesh. For a drunkard and a glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe one with mere rags. Lord Zeref believed that he was a man of great power, and thus needed to be a man of a king. His over-indulgence of power and his ability to cause mayhem has given the great Black God the commitment of gluttony."

"Why do you ask? It is already rare enough that you would talk about Zeref... but to summon all 7 of us here to discuss it?" Lucifer asked.

"I told you... closure," I monotonically said and immediately changed the subject. "My second question... why did you all hide this from me? You all knew... and yet, none of you have told me who I really was... why was I saved... why Zeref saved me... why... I was given a second chance to live."

"We-"

"The final request of Master Zeref," Beezlebub spoke on behalf. The rest of the devils were surprised at Beezlebub's choice to speak so much at one time, but did not detest it. They were being polite and respectful. "If you had learned of this as a child... would you not have reacted any more maturely? You were taken back by the news, we understand that. But if a child were to know that they are to wield such great power, would you have used that against your enemies? Your problems? Your emotions? The journey to your end is far from being over."

"It is a destiny that I do not agree with...," I mumbled. "Even if it is Zeref... I have my own choices to make."

"Though... Master Zeref had made another request... to your great ancestor, Mavis Vermillion," my head shot up and looked dead at Beezlebub's eyes closed. My eyes were widened and I wondered what he was going to say about Mavis-dono. "He requested that Mavis would take care of you... to keep you from harm..."

"Why? So I would fresh and ready to kill?" my anger boiled and I stood up high. Tears nearly rolled out of my eyes, but I couldn't allow myself to show it. My fists clenched and I was losing it. "You don't understand how much turmoil I am in! How am I suppose to get stronger? All my life, I wanted to get stronger for Zeref's sake... but... Not like THIS! I'd... I'd rather be the weakest person in the world if it meant my strength would be used in this kind of way!"

"HOWEVER," Beezlebub's voiced roared across the skies. Luckily, my location was isolated from any other people. "You have a new reason to get stronger, do you not?"

"New... reason?" I repeated him.

_What is new? Fairy Tail? Mavis-dono? ... Sting?  
><em>

"If you do not wish to always be protected, then become stronger to protect yourself! Become stronger to protect those you love! Be strong to protect Master Zeref if that is that path that you want to take! Refusing to do so will have all your wants be crushed in front of you! Are you... or are you not, the descendant of the powerful wizard, Mavis Vermillion, AND the precious student that has been taught under the powerful wizard, Zeref!"

"But... Black Magic...," I looked away. "Can I even-"

"Clarion-chan...," Lucifer spoke after Beezlebub became too tired from talking so much. "Your heart is pure and full of life. Not even Black Magic would make you take another person's life. Trust yourself, and the Magic that you control can never make you do something you do not want to commit."

"What if... I can't control it? This... the news... and everything... my confidence has really dried up."

"We believe in you... Claire-chan!" Asmo gave a thumbs up, wink, and bright smile. "Black Magic cannot affect us devils, if there is ever an emergency we will be there."

A tear has shed out of an eye. Taken back by the worlds of my devils... no my angels, they are my family. Sins or not, devils or not... they are the true meaning to my happiness. Seeing my more and more tears drip down my face, each of them gathered around to give me hug. They were warm and... something smelled like booze. But either way, they were always there for me. I hated it sometimes.. but they would always know what to say, at least, Beezlebub did all the talking... but I know that all of them had the same thoughts about me. They want the best for me... like a true family. I wiped away the tears after the group hug broke. I really have been taking them for granted.

"I'll.. try and summon you guys more often... I'm sorry for keeping you dormant for so long... I'll change that," I managed to break a smile.

"Don't worry about usin' meh!" Belphe said and turned her back on me. A sweat drop appeared behind my head. I closed her padlock.

"We'll see each other again," Amon bowed.

"Remember to summon me more, Clarion-san!" Levi bright shone her wide, cheek-to-cheek, smile.

"Look forward to serving you," Mammon respectfully nodded.

"See ya later, Claire-chan!" Asmo winked.

"Thank you... Clarion-chan," Lucifer softly smiled.

I returned the happy goodbyes and I slowly unlocked each of my devils one by one. Beezlebub was the last to be unlocked and for the first time, I see him smile. He always had this spiritual looking expression that could never be broken, but I suppose today was special. The sun was fully shown now and I could feel a new spark, a new resolve. There isn't much time left... I should make things last. But something had stopped me... a thought.

"Unlock: Lucifer," I manifested him back into Earthland. He was surprised for a moment, but still bowed in front of me waiting for a request.

"Yes, Clarion-chan?"

"Hey...," I paused and exhaled loudly. "I've... committed sins too, haven't I?"

"Sins? Well-"

"Tell me, Lucifer."

"Clarion-chan..."

"Please."

"I-"

"TELL ME!" my voice echoed. "Pride, greed, wrath, lust, sloth, envy, gluttony..."

"I'm sorry, Clarion-chan...," he took a step back. "This is a request, I cannot reveal..."

"But... why? You're hiding something...," I stepped forward to him with him stepping back again. "Lucifer... what is it? Why can't you tell me? Lucifer, please! You have always been the spirit that has look over me so much! Please, I'm begging you!"

I opened my tear-filled eyes to see his spirit slowly lock himself back up. I never seen any of my spirits do this before. When did they have the ability to leave without my consent?

"If I tell you... then we'd have to leave... please, do not ask this again and pretend that you have never asked me," his final words said as he completely disappeared. I dropped to my knees and the sand was pushing up against the skin of my legs. Should I be upset about this? But I suppose that Lucifer didn't try to lie to me.. that's one thing I suppose. But... if he won't tell me, then I'd just have to find out myself... I'll move on, this shouldn't let me stop myself from being stronger to choose my own way to use my Magic.

* * *

><p>Lucifer returned back to the Devil Spirit Magic, with the rest of the Deadly Sins waiting for his return. They were gathered around at their usual meeting place, the Castle of Sins. The 7 spirits do not normally interact often with each other during their rest time in the Devil Spirit World, but when they need to meet and discuss, they go to the castle. In this world, they are treated like royalty.<p>

"Why did you get back later than us?" Amon turned as he felt the presence of Lucifer appear behind him. "Did Clarion-san ask you addition answers about Master Zeref?"

"No... not questions about him... but" Lucifered tried to stomach what he is about to say. "She asked... what sins did _she_ commit..."

There was a moment of silence and shocked faces, widened eyes, clenched teeth, balled fists, and shaking bodies throughout the committee of devil spirits. Some of which started to ball up in tears just by hearing the news.

"Are you kidding me?!" Belphegor raised her voice and clenched her fists. "Why would she ask such a thing? Wh-Why woudld she ask this NOW?! You didn't tell her, DID YOU?!"

She was stepping closer and closer to Lucifer, stomping her feet with each step and moving everyone else aside. She grabbed a hold of the collar of Lucifer's dress shirt and lifted him up against the wall. Her arms were still shaking and her legs looked as if they were going to make her fall at any moment. Tears were streaming down her cheeks at the distressed and you can tell she tried so hard to not let a sound of her choking her tears make a noise in the still room.

"Calm down, Belphegor-san...," Mammon softly said with her eyes closed and head down. "We all know quite well not to disclose that information to Clarion-sama, is that correct, Lucifer-san?"

"Yes," he sighed and cooperatively allowed Belphegor bring him down to floor level. "This is bad..."

"Very soon...," Leviathan said as her saddened look stared at the ground. "It will happen soon..."

"The day when we will not be with Clarion-san anymore..." Asmo added with his hands giving support to his head. "The moment she commits all sins and will depart from us."

"There's just one sin left, Asmo...," Lucifer said.

"Yeah... lust," he sighed and looked at the ceiling. "I just feel awful. Even after that moment with her... we came clean with her... but we are still keeping this from from her after all of that. It is strange how one human can be this significant to us devils."

"How admirable for you to say those words, Asmo," Lucifer teased while trying to lift up the mood. He crossed his armed, dipped his head allowing his white shaggy hair to shadow his eyes, and leaned against the wall plastered with floral, but gothic-like wallpaper. "But I suppose Clarion-chan had changed us all in a way. All devils never really made contracts with humans... but I suppose that Clarion-chan is one of the few, but the most powerful Devil Spirit Mage."

"It makes me tense," reawakened the voice of Mammon. "That Clarion-sama tries excruciatingly much to try not to abide to our assistance."

"Yeah... as if she doesn't need us..."

"No, don't say that," Leviathan wiped away the tears and stepped forward. "We are the closest things that Clarion-chan has left of Zeref, she... would never think of us this way... Maybe if we.. tell her the truth, then maybe... Clarion-chan will never have to leave us..."

"Leviathan-san...," Mammon opened one eye to look at the spirit of the envy sin. "If that were to happen, we would be severely punished..."

* * *

><p>Mammon was arguably the only sin that conceals her respective spirit...<p>

Lucifer was always prideful of being the devil spirit under Clarion and a servant of the most powerful dark Mage, Zeref.

Amon was always forceful and easily tempered and under rage when provoked.

Asmodeus was always lustful, perverted, and easily tempted to woo over other women.

Beezlebub's weight and size stems from his overeating and his overindulgence of wisdom.

Leviathan is always envious of other devils and their closer relationship to Clarion.

Belphegor... well is always lazy and never wants to do anything worthwhile.

* * *

><p>It was the dead of night... normal time for many devils to be out and about with their normal, immortal lives in the Devil Spirit World. Lucifer was walking along his usual path when he noticed a little figure in the distance. He walked up faster to get closer.<p>

"Hey, Mammon...," Lucifer caught up to the petite and soft-spoken devil spirit.

Mammon did not respond, but only looked to her side to see the sin of pride. Her pace began to fasten, but it was nothing that Lucifer would not do to get in touch with her. Mammon did not seem like herself, perhaps it was the meeting that they had earlier. She, like everyone else, is saddened by the imminent loss.

"It is not wrong to be down... Mammon," Lucifer said.

"Shut it, Lucifer," she bluntly said in her same, usual soft voice. However, the diction was the astonishing thing. She was definitely upset as it was rare of her to break out of her polite manner. Lucifer tried calming her down and she apologized. "I'm... greedy... I, too, want Clarion-sama to remain my Master..."

* * *

><p>"Cl-Clarion!?" Makarov jumped out of his seat and almost spilled his mug of alcohol that the had already started to drink. His struggling arms were see over the counter as he tried getting back up into a proper posture. Mavis-dono was just sitting near him on a high chair and turned around to see the commotion. She tried to look away to cover her baby-like crying, but my voice made her stop.<p>

"I'm sorry... for that outburst," I bowed my head in apology. "I want to help make Fairy Tail as big as it once was, the way that I saw it... strong, powerful, genuine... So please, teach me how to master Black God Slayer Magic."

Makarov coughed before speaking, "I know you mean well dear... but I do not know if Black God Slayer Magic is-"

"Sure," the little first said with a cheek to cheek smile. She jumped off her seat and walking past me out of the door. "Let start right now, we only have a limited time before the games begin."

"WAHHH?!" Makarov was stunned by her answer, but quickly followed behind as we were both leaving the run down guild building. My eyes were left wide open with my head still bowed. As my head lifted up and turned around, I only see a small, petite, child-like spirit of the founder of the guild that has a magical ability to channel true feelings and love. With a slight hesitation, I followed her outside to the front of the Fairy Tail shack with Makarov following shortly after still in shock.

"Eh... are you sure about this, Mavis-dono?" I asked her as soon as she led us to the middle of a grassy field. The sun was shining down, no clouds in sight, and the air stood perfectly still. I could feel my legs shaking at the acknowledgement of this power wield inside of me.

"Clarion-chan," Mavis said boldly out loud to snap me out of it. "I know you are afraid, but I know what I am doing. Do not ask me why, but I will be able to train you up until the games to get you ready to control the second stage of your Magic."

I nodded.

"I know that your biggest concern must be that you might accidentally... kill someone. That part is true, Black God Slayer Magic, if not under control, may in fact cause manslaughter without even knowing it. However, there will be strong competitors at the Grand Magic Games, so that is the least of my concern. Only a helpless little creature will be doomed against your Magic, so do not fear. The grass is an example of these creatures, so please understand that there is some extent to which you cannot take a life."

"I.. understand," I have to admit, I was a little skeptical. But then again... it was just me, and Makarov, and Mavis-dono. "But... can this Magic kill me from the inside?"

She shakes her head.

"Black Magic, by nature, will not destroy a host... it just consumes the inside with darkness and projects it onto other victims to be the slaves of the Magic... Clarion, I will be teaching you how to not fall under the evil darkness within Black Magic... remember that you are not a Mage of Black Magic, you are meant to slay those that use Black Magic.. think of yourself as a purifier... fire against fire. It is quite difficult to understand."

In a kid-like manner, she tilts her head and scratches it with a little awkward giggle to go along with it.

But then I remembered a familiar God Slayer... Zancrow, the Flame God Slayer. Quite weird to admit it, but I suppose that during my growing up in Grimoire Heart, Zancrow was kind of the closest person to me. We would often spar with each other, much to the uneasiness of Hades. But I guess that is a little taste of God Slayer Magic I had that I never really realize that I needed to know about. But as far as I remember... God Slayer elements were black in color, on a higher tier than Dragon Slayers, and I guess arguably strong than Dragon Slayers? Or something like that, but I did hear Natsu defeat Zancrow, so I suppose it just depends on the fighting ability of the user. I looked down at my hand and I see it trembling slightly.

* * *

><p><em>"..." I tugged on his sleeve.<em>

_"Yes, Clarion?" we stopped and he looks down at my drooping head.  
><em>

_"How come we always travel around?" I didn't look up.  
><em>

_"Does your feet hurt?"  
><em>

_"... don't reply with a question... but no."  
><em>

_"It's okay, we will take a break."  
><em>

_It was a grassy field, no sign of vegetation other than acres of grass that seem to be perfect clones. Zeref had laid down on his back with his hands cuffed together to cushion like a pillow. I just kept staring at his face, shadowed eyes covered by his bangs, and the very quiet breathing of him sleeping. I sat next to him and whacked his stomach which caused him to wake up and gag a little. He opened one eye with a cringed look.  
><em>

_"You didn't answer me... why do we always have to move and travel? Is there someone after us? Do you not like to settle down somewhere? Why-"  
><em>

_"Clarion," he cut me off. "Truth is... I am afraid to stay at one spot. It is just this fear that I have that... if you stay at one spot, then it will happen again..."  
><em>

_"What will happen?"  
><em>

_"Like what will happen to your town... your family... I caused it... and I will prevent it by always keeping us moving, always running away from anything that can harm you."_

* * *

><p>Fear... it is not something you should run away for... I guess when you are just with a naive little child, then I guess it is best to not let them experience fear. When you are innocent, all you can do is just enjoy life and see the happiness in everything you come into contact with. Though, obviously, I'm not so innocent as compared to when I was a child. For the next few days, the three of us focused on just being able to manipulate Black Magic. There is no use to mastering such an art without having to first having it under my control. Makarov told me that Zeref was able to summon up and create many different types of demons, including the one that destroyed my town... so, they are keeping my emotions under surveillance since feelings is a very powerful catalyst to evolving Magic. Since Black Magic includes both Death Magic and Living Magic, it makes it quite difficult to handle to try and <em>not<em> kill or create anything.

"Hey..." I said quietly as Makarov and I were taking a break while Mavis-dono was taking a nap in the back.

"What is it dear?" he responded while taking a sip of who know what's in the big ass mug of his. "Something on your mind bothering you?"

"Since Black Magic based on two forbidden Magics... does that consider Black God Slayer Magic to be forbidden as well?"

Makarov looked tensed, but still spoke. "Honestly... you would agree that every Magic there is... they are capable of taking the life away from anyone or anything, others take control of other things but is not considered a Living Magic... but personally, it all comes down how you use it..."

"Well... its both Death and Living Magic..."

"The 1st and I are trying to conjure up a way for you to be able to balance the two Magics at once rather than focus one particular Magic. With the combination of Living and Death Magic, you may be very much well possible to not worry about giving life to anything or killing anything. The perfect harmony of death and living would allow you to just keep life and death exactly the same."

"What about.. the games? Would I not be able to compete?"

"No no... I very much want to see you and compete and I am very sure that the 1st would love to see one of her own show her pride to the guild. You are a very strong Mage, Clarion. You have the blood of our very own founder and the teachings of Zeref... I may not very much support or have pride in that last part, but you are an amazing person and Fairy Tail would be honored to have someone like you represent us."

"Hmm... thank you," I said as I left for some fresh air. The weather was absolutely amazing, not too hot, not too cold, not too bright or gloomy. But struck me the most from the small conversation with Makarov was that he was trying to figure out a way to balance Black Magic with help from Mavis-dono... he said it as if all they needed to do was to I don't know, recite this Magic spell and boom, I'll have control over everything... but I'm not sure if it could be that simple of me to easily manipulate my Magic in that way.

But then it hit me like something just punched me in the face. The ability to combine Magics... like Natsu's ability to be able to call upon the lightning from the Lightning Dragon Slayer despite being the Flame Dragon Slayer... Sting... his White Magic... the holy Magic... am I crazy? That can't work... I'm a God Slayer and Sting is a Dragon Slayer... but... still... God's are considered a higher tier and perhaps it might not be able to work at all... I have nothing to lose. If Makarov or Mavis-dono finds out this reckless stunt I'm doing then they would never let me try. I hopped onto the train and went straight for it... what's the worst that can happen? Sure, it would probably not work considering that Gods and dragons are entirely different beings, but who knows really? When Natsu uses his lightning-fire... it does take quite a toll on his body as a side effect, but if it is a dragon to God ratio then would it have a side-effect? As a user of White Magic... it has the attributes of holiness and would it be able to purify this Black Magic? At least... enough for it to give me a handicap? I don't trust myself to control all of this in a short amount of time... would it have any toll on me? Is the weakness of Black Magic the White Magic itself? Would it purify me completely if I try to consume it? Would it mix Living, Death, White Magic altogether? Can White Magic be able to eat up the Black? ... what the hell am I getting myself into?

* * *

><p>"3rd &amp; 5th..." a little, petite fairy of Fairy Tail walked in wiping her eye and yawning loudly.<p>

"EEE! 1ST?! Y-Y-YOU'RE AW-AWAKE ALREADY?!" Mavis-dono was confused about Makarov's jumpy and jittery state. He turned her body around and started to walk her back to her bed where she was napping on earlier. "You should rest up soon! You know, a... ghost like you needs lots of rest!"

"Why... so nervous?" she questioned as she was slipping herself into bed again. He continued to stammer and mumble and sweat which made Mavis quiet suspicious and not buying anything. She went into a more serious and stern look. "Tell me... now."

Makarov teared up.

"IM SORRRYYYY 1ST! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I BEG OF YOU! IT WAS NOT MY FAULT! CLARION... CLARION... SHE SHE... RAN AWAY! I DO NOT KNOW WHERE! AND I AM UNABLE TO TRACK HER LOCATION! BUT... SHE JUST LEFT THIS NOTE SAYING THAT SHE WILL BE BACK SOMETIME BEFORE THE GAMES! I AM SORRY! DON'T HURT ME!"

As Makarov was done crying and realized that his predecessor has not said a single word, he opened his eyes to a sleeping 1st Master. With a big sigh, Makarov collapsed on the floor overwhelmed with relief. He would not dare to imagine what she would have done if she realized that he let her only survivor do the most reckless things... Now time for Makarov to come up with an elaborate, realistic story to cover up my absence...

* * *

><p>Walking along these same streets again... I let out a sigh. For some reason I was able to find Sting's place, even though I've only navigated myself around the town only a few times in this town where I actually had a destination. Next thing I knew, I was right in front of his complex... I let out another sigh and just decided to get in and get out. Nothing more, nothing less. Just heading straight for the knob, I tried to turn it, and to my surprise, it was open. But I just backed away against the wall that was in front of the door. I did not want to go in, I did not want to see him... if he left this thing unlocked... he was probably expecting someone to come in...<p>

Why.. am I feeling like this? ... Fuck it... there's no way I'm getting bothered by his face... Impulsively, I slammed myself against the door and abruptly let myself in. First thing I see...

"Clarion..."

For a minute or so... I just kept staring at the first thing I saw... Sting facing right at me... with another girl right on top of him as he was shirtless on the couch. She was quite the curvacious, pretty figure. Long black hair, skimpy clothing, and long eye lashes... nothing I would ever look like even if I wanted to. The moment I felt something warm around my eyes, I left the same way I came in. I started walking, faster walking, running, faster running... like always... I never have a destination when I am in this town.

"You like her huh? Why don't you go after her?"

"Cause... its nothing... really... just forget about it and continue the night."

* * *

><p><strong>Wahhhh~~! I cannot believe you just read! I am deeply sorry for the long ass wait! I can't promise faster updates now, but I'll see what I can do and how much I can do in my free time! The latest chapters have been really giving me inspiration and I hope they continue to do so! I would love to make this chapter longer than this, but I hate having to make you guys wait more! Please bear with me! Thank you for those that still kept on waiting! &amp; that "loss" will be revealed in future chapters teehee!<br>**


	10. Chapter 10: Black and White

**Hello my lovely readers! Glad you can stop by for the next chapter! I apologize for the wait, and I hope you stick around until the very end! Please enjoy the chapter... please... o u o ... I have to warn you this is quite OOC... :\ Sting is never really shown to have a "love" side to him and I simply just had to make one up... perhaps many of you might disagree of how he acts when it comes to infatuation... but please enjoy the story!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>"It is 5,000 jewels per night."<em>

_"That's fine."_

_"Your room is #124 on the second floor. Please, enjoy your stay."_

* * *

><p>Was once to be the dusk, is now the dead of night. This whole time, I was just laying or sitting on this run down, used, perfumed ridden motel bed. My eyes would shift from staring at the wooden door to the window that was purposely left open. I did not care that the cold night hair would drop the temperature inside this room, I just wanted to make sure that it was... I don't know... Why am I feeling this way? How come I think of him like this? Out of all people... why him... why, why, why... Why should I even wait for him? I shouldn't even expect him... I... I really do like him, huh? But... that's silly of me. He's arrogant, rude, full of himself, and extremely egotistic. Though... he seems to care a bit... and witnessing that scene back there, I just fell apart for awhile. Is that how an infatuation is? ... Is that how Zeref felt toward Mavis-dono? Obviously, those two did not end up being together considering that I have no blood relation from him... It hurts. I'm falling and I don't have a parachute... I-<p>

Creek. The sound of the wooden, creaky door opening broke my train of thought. Good thing to... I needed something to snap me out of it. I got up from my sulky looking position, however, my head was still turned away from the door. I didn't really want to look at anymore... strange... even though deep inside, I really, really wanted to talk to someone, anyone...

"What are you doing here, Lector?" I said without turning my head away from the window. I got out of the bed and proceeded to close it, but I didn't leave from there. I kept staring outside through the small space the curtains left. It was cold, my hands were already beginning to freeze.

"What's a person like you doing in a dump like this? This place is only for the trash that can't afford a better place," he crossed his arms and walked over to the bed. He sat onto of it where I was laying down and took a whiff. "This place is sickening, come back."

"That didn't answer my first question... you just simply answered it with a question."

"Well, Sting-kun wanted me to come get you."

"Did he..."

"Now you answer my question. You have our savings don't cha? At least use it for something more... something with more taste..."

"Well, you just answered it for me," I turned back and I caught myself with a soft smile. The room was dark so the little reddish exceed wouldn't be able to detect it. I walked closer to him and picked him off of the bed. "I wanted to return it so, I didn't want to spend so much of it. I thought it would have been a way to get back at Sting for letting get into the whole situation back there, but if we're going to win the games, I'm sure the bragging rights are worth it."

"Pfft, we'll see about that. Sabertooth has super strong people!"

I sighed and I couldn't help but burst out a little smile at him. Escaping from my hands, Lector hopped onto my shoulder

"Come on, let's go back."

"Back? ... Back there? Your place? The place where... Sting is?" I rolled my eyes and groaned his name in disgust.

"Yeah, where else would I tell us to go? Well... I could tell you to go off a cliff."

"Shush... let's not go through that again," I glared at him. "Well.. isn't there a... er... a guest over?"

"Guest? What guest?"

"Yeah... you know, that girl...?" I cringed at how we had to dive into this conversation. Lector still didn't look like he knew what I was talking about. I sighed."That girl that was with.. him... you know... she was like.. on top of him? And... yeah..."

"Oh, she's nothing to Sting-kun," my eye brow raised at the simplicity of the response. Nothing? That's it? ... just nothing? I would be lying if I said that I didn't care who she was to Sting... "She is just a little random girly friend that Sting-kun found and just invited her back to our place. Sting-kun may be the best at everything but he does have a few weaknesses. One of them is you."

"Me?"

"The only reason why Sting-kun invited her over was because he was getting lonely. After you left, Sting-kun missed you and well..," he sighed. "He needed to find someone fast. It isn't because he wanted to replace you... he just needed to find someone to distract him."

"And... he told you all of this?" the room began to stink more and I decided to start heading out. I paid the lady in front, and started walking towards their place.

"Not exactly, but no one knows Sting better than I do!" Lector pointed to himself as he praised his 'knowledge'. Not sure whether or not that particular piece of information was something to be proud of, but I couldn't really argue against that. To Lector, Sting was his pride and joy which may or may not be a good thing considering that he might have too much confidence in him. A little anime sweat just dropped behind my head.

"I appreciate your time coming here, Lector," I sincerely thanked as I patted his little head between his ears. I gave off a smile and Lector pouted at my gesture. It is rare for us to be this affectionate towards each other, so having the moment was nice, even if it would probably be just for a few short moments.

"I know.. Clarion-kun."

* * *

><p>"Finish the night?" <strong><br>**

"Uh.. yeah... don't worry about it."

"Who was that girl back there?" Sting was about to reassure her that it was nothing, however, the woman began to go off again. "Who does she think she is? Honestly... what a total mood killer..."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around Sting as she laid her body on top of his. He lifted his right hand up to place his palm on her lower back, but he hesitated, and decided against it. Their faces were super close and that woman popped out her chest forward at him in order to make it obvious that she wants something done to them. Sting didn't really get the picture and just stared past her face and at the door that was still left unlocked. She began to kiss along his head, but noticed that Sting was not reacting to it at all. He seemed dazed, tired, and really not in the mood for something like this. Don't get him wrong, there has been plenty of times when he usually invites a girl home for the night or so and never see her again or remember her name. However, this sort of time was different.

"Hey.. wait...," he pulled her hands off of him and kept his grip on her shoulders. "Can't we just... uh... Can't we just talk?"

"Huuuuhhhh?" she furrowed her eye brows, giving off a rather irritated look. She backed off a little, causing Sting to let his hands fall, and crossed her arms. "YOU'RE the one that invited ME over to your place. I KNOW that you did not just want to talk. Look, you're lucky that you have a high end reputation and I decided not to ask anything in return for the night I'm giving you. That girl back there looked like she just got a broken heart from seeing us together, I wanted to make sure that incident didn't change your mind or anything... but clearly I can see that it did."

"I... don't know what you're talkin' about. What's your problem?" Sting slouched back with his arms laid back and resting his head. Sting's expression showed as if he would rather not talk about this certain topic. A sweat dripped down his face and he refused to have eye contact with her. She grew impatient with his behavior and proceeded to climb off of him. He did not lift a finger at all and allowed her to remove herself from the position. She sighed and grabbed her coat and clothed herself from the cold night. Sting didn't try to stop her, instead he just watched her from the corner of his eye.

"If you two were still together, they why invite me? Isn't that a bit sketchy for you to do? She's probably all crying and what not because you betrayed her," she lectured with an overly inappropriate use of hand motion and gestures.

"Its not like that, we aren't together."

"Oh really now? Then what is it? Did you two recently break up? Did you two take some sort of break from each other? Did you two decide to wait it out before becoming official? Are you two friends with benefits and one or both of you just end up falling in love with each other?"

"God damn...," Sting's voice was getting annoyed. He shifted his lazy position to a sitting one with his weight leaning forward. His elbows were slouched on his knees with his hands covering his eyes. "We were never even together. We were never a couple. I invited you here just to fill this empty feeling when she left. She isn't from here... and she had to go back to who knows where she's from. We said our goodbyes at the beginning of the week... and I didn't expect her to come back because the we were just suppose to see each other when the games begin."

She sighed and turned her back onto Sting, opening the door in front of her.

"Who would have known that someone of the likes of you, the famous White Dragon of the most powerful guild, Sabertooth, and also high ranked as the "Mage you want to have as a boyfriend"... would become someone that you would never dream of imagining? You're no fun, Sting-kun... call me again when you have stopped being such a soft guy. Girls like you better when you have that cool confidence of yours," and with that she slammed the door behind her and was on her way. Sting didn't say a word and didn't bother to go after her or anything. After a few moments, Sting walked up to the door and locked it and returned back to his couch.

"A softy huh...? That's no good...," he said to himself as he stared at the time and noticed that it was quite late. He remained standing there, his eyes wandering around room. He looked at the couch, the coffee table, the decor, the ceiling...

_Click_, the sound of an key unlocking was heard followed by the sound of an opening door. He turned his head away from looking at the ceiling to the door. Coming inside was his usual companion, Lector, however, he also had a familiar guest with him. As I walked into the den with Lector on my shoulder, the atmosphere soon grew colder and awkward. There was at least a few moments of just staring at each other, it was just weird. Lector didn't say a word despite how talkative he is and just kept glaring at Sting and I.

"Uh... hey," I broke the silence. My voice was noticeably coarse which made it embarrassing to speak. I scratched the back of my head and avoided having eye contact with him.

"Hi," he replied.

"Wasn't there... a guest here?" Lector, noticing the situation and the conversation should be only meant between us, jumped down from my shoulder and went to the guest room. Sting was not speaking a word and grew impatient with him. "Well?"

"Oh, uh... she left," he said while mindless walking around.

"Did she?"

"Yeah...," his head was now looking down at the floor. The unusual tension of awkwardness between us was difficult to talk to him. I felt like shivering, it was kind of troublesome. He shifted his position again and started facing right towards me. "So... why did you come here? I thought we weren't going to see each other until the games started?"

"I wanted to ask you a favor," I admitted. Now that I think about it, he was always the one I have to ask favors for. I hated having to owe people… especially because I hate feeling indebted to people. Due to that, I always have a fierce of habit of returning people the favors to be even. However, when I'm with him, its either or. Sometimes I do want to repay him for the things he has done for me, but sometimes I feel like I don't owe him anything because he doesn't deserve anything… at least in my opinion he doesn't because he is just a total brat.

"I see… well, I'd be glad to help you… but can it wait til the mornin'? If ya hadn't noticed, it's late.. there's only for a few more hours until sunrise. So I suppose we won't even wake up until the early afternoon," he said as he looked out the window. "Need a place to crash again? Don't go back to that crap place, stay here."

"Who told you that?"

"I have my ways of knowing where my money has been spent," he smirked which reminded me that I still had their savings tucked away. I threw his jewels on the couch much to my chagrin that he was practically laughing at me the whole time. "Thanks. Otherwise, I would've taken some other kind of payment."

"You're stupid," I said as I proceeded to the guest room.

"Wait," he stopped me before I could grab a hold of the knob. "Lector is probably sleeping in there, don't wake him up."

"Fine, I'll just sleep on the couch, got a blanket or pillow or something?"

"Not exactly... I was just hoping you'd just... come to bed with me," he got up close to my face and winked with that usual, sly smile of his. This was the sort of Sting that I was used to... not necessarily meaning that I like Sting being all cocky and all that shit that he comes with... but at least its his usual self and not that awkward one earlier... If Sting is being his usual self, that gives me a good enough reason to be my usual self around him. I let my hand stretch it nice and straight, giving it such a relieving feel, and slap it against Sting's cheek following up with a good ol' sigh of annoyance.

"How about this... I sleep on the bed and I... place my little foot on that little, cheeky face of yours, shove it off the bad, let you land on the floor beside the bed, and keep it that way for the rest of the night?"

"Oh? Then that means I can have you for the other nights-"

"Just stop," I suddenly cut him off from whatever he was going to say after that sentence. "I just plan on staying for the night, the favor I had in mind isn't something that should take days or weeks... especially since the Grand Magic Games are really coming up soon and training time will come to an end. Well, at least, I hope it doesn't take that long..."

"Alright, alright, fine... its just funny...," he said as he turned away from my direction, but I could tell from noticing the corner of his lips that he was smiling.

"What's so funny?"

"Our relationship... I don't even know what we are to each other," he turned back to me.

"Don't say it like its a funny thing... sometimes I wonder that too... What am I to you? I hate how we're like this... one moment we can easily go back to our senseless bickering, then the next we're starting to question this again... but I also hate how you take it so lightly, when I'm taking it more seriously than you are. Am I not that important? If anything, I can be just like that girly friend you had over here... what makes me any different? We're like strangers."

"Not completely... that girl back there was a stranger. To me a stranger is someone that I don't ask their name for, and if they just told me, I would just forget it... that girl, I just gave her an invitation to my place and that is that... I will not remember her," a serious tone in his voice gradually grew bolder and bolder. I part of me does believe him, however, a big chunk of my trust is always doubtful towards him.

"I'm not much any different... I'm just a person that invited myself here and excuse myself out. You may remember me, but why? Why me? What's so different about me than her? You probably just say the same intentions for me with her-"

"Just cut that crap you're thinkin' of. You're right, we are strangers. You're right from the start. I can't understand you, and you can't understand me. Fine, treat me like some kind of bachelor or whatever, I can just treat you like trash as well. Just tell me your favor, right here, right now, so you can just leave right after. By the time we're done with this bullshit, you can just go back."

I bit my lip and fought against a stream of tears.

"Hit me."

He flicked my forehead.

"Not like that you stupid, fucking idiot!" I yelled as I slapped off his hand away from my head. He smirked a little and gestured me to calm my voice down. "Use some sort of attack using your magic, White Magic... I don't know... don't you have some sort of roar attack?"

"My Magic? Forget it, what the hell would that do to you? I'll just end up hurting you and blame it on me and it'll be a very hard issue to deal with considering that some members from the guild that turned out to be trashy idiots did something to you."

"I won't do anything like that to you... but fine, if you don't trust me... can you at least like... concentrate White Magic into a ball?"

He sighed, "Like this?" And made a perfect sphere of Magic, White Magic to be exact. It looked beautiful, bright, glowing, and looked as if it was full of life. "Hey, hey, hey... don't have any dirty tricks or-"

With one quick move, I held the ball of White Magic for a split second then quickly shoved it into my mouth and forced myself to gulp it down. Now, I can see why this is so simple for Dragon and God Slayers to do... when it is their own element. Despite how beautiful that piece of White Magic was... even for a split second it tasted utterly disgusting. I suppose since Black and White Magic are complete opposites, my body would naturally try everything to reject the foreign Magic from coming inside my body. If Makarov or Mavis-dono was here right now, they would obviously go against everything I'm trying to accomplish... or trying to know whether or not it is possible to be accomplished in the first place. I felt like choking, my hands were gripping at my neck where I tried to get this fucking White Magic to come meet with my Black Magic. I couldn't keep my eyes open because of the pain and how I couldn't open my mouth or I'll risk having to go through this again. Through a little small peek through one of my eyes, I could see that Sting was yelling for me, but I couldn't hear a single word he is saying. I suppose that it really is just two things in life that were not meant to be together.

However, just like the Yin and Yang, Black Magic and White Magic do not exist to be opposing forces. Death cannot exist without life and therefore, these two Magics bring each other their meaning. Despite how contrary the two seem to be, they balance each other, and I have to force my body, my Magic to realize that. Like the Yin, my body consumed with Black Magic will have the white dot of White Magic.

Slowly, I see Sting's face grow more and more worried, but at the same time, my vision grows more and more blurry until.. it is completely black.

* * *

><p>"Clarion?" Lucifer's eyes opened wide.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>(Note: POV changed due to Clarion's unconsciousness)<strong>

Holding her close, Sting was doing everything he could to make sure he doesn't lose her. At this point, he had no idea what was going on. Weird girl, making a weird request, doing the weirdest thing, and reacting the weirdest way.

"Don't touch her," a stranger's voice, sounding excruciatingly grim, was suddenly heard in the room as a shadow appeared above Sting and an unresponsive Clarion. This tone of voice was heard so bewitchingly full of anger that it sent chills down Sting's spine, but he detected a sense of familiarity. Looking up, he sees a tall figure, fists balled, and a serious, devious look.

"You..." Lucifer, wearing his usual formal attire slightly messy, his white shaggy hair covering part of his face allowing his own eye pierce through with a golden stare. Looking into his evil glare would make you feel as though you would turn into a lifeless statue of gold. His teeth started to clench, revealing the fangs of a devil. After realizing that Sting was making the devil of lust grow more impatient, he quickly carried her over to his bed.

The interior of the bedroom looked bigger than what you would think. The exterior of the housing complex would make you assume that each room was apartment sized. However, this is the beloved member of the well-renowned Sabertooth guild which would require his ego to live in a comfortable, but stylish manner. His place was more of a condo rather than a small apartment. He loved people, especially people to always praise him, and people to kiss the dirt he walked on. Sting Eucliffe, as his name can imply, wanted his identity tattooed into the minds of others for he never wanted to be forgotten as the White Dragon Slayer.

Until he met Clarion Ferez that is. Every single second he stares at her, he feels someone new. She was definitely not like the girls he was use to. Almost every night, he would bring a new girl home to mess around with and allow the hormones of other girls to do their dirty work on him. Clarion, with her wavy hair and blank stare, would always be able to make Sting stutter with his personality. She fascinated him. His cocky and egotistic attitude would begin to shatter whenever he wanted to be with her and when he realizes how much a woman can mean to him, his thoughts scramble. Because no other person saw Sting for who he really is. Other people see him as attractive, charming, cool... whereas Clarion sees him for him: arrogant, conceited, boastful... etc. However, she can still learn to accept him for the crappy character he is and be patient enough to take the time to shift him into a better person. She is the only person that would be able to change Sting.

This current scene was a like at a hospital. Sting pulled up a chair next to Clarion's side and didn't let his gaze be taken away from her. He kept watching her as the silence between Lucifer and Sting became as dead as an empty patch of decay. Lucifer did not say a work as he adjusted the sheets on top of Clarion and monitored her breathing, temperature, and heart beat. When Lucifer began to lean up against the wall, Sting decided to speak.

"H-Hey... so, will she be okay?" Sting asked as he reached for her with his hand to place a feel on her cheek.

"Don't touch her," Sting instantly snapped back with a disappointing look.

"Well?" he raised his voice because of his growing impatience. Lucifer was not himself at this moment. He was cold as he can ever be as a devil. He was not his playful, fun-loving, and joking self. The darkest desires began consuming him inside as he was developing an urge to permanently remove Sting's ability to talk. Sting's impatience gave in and slammed the wall with his fist to get Lucifer's attention. "Well?! Tell me! How is she doing?!"

Lucifer slightly raised his head, without changing his cold expression. Sting refused to become hesitant in front of this person.

"I don't give a damn if you're her guardian... or spirit... or whatever! You're a guy that is supposed to take care of her, right? Right?! Then tell me how she is doing! Will she be okay?! Is there anything at all that I can do?! I'll do anything!"

"She's ill."

"That's it? That's all you can tell me? That's all you can say?! Ill?! Ill with what?! What the hell is going on?!"

"She ate your Magic just now, no?"

"She did...," Sting calmed down a bit after picturing such an event. He turned his position and leaned against the wall, facing his back to Lucifer. "What kind of stupid stunt was that? Just Dragon and God Slayers can do such a daring move."

"That's true...," Sting lifted his head. "Clarion-chan is a Slayer..."

"What?" Sting grew sweat dripping down is neck. "Dragon Slayer? God Slayer?!"

"God Slayer...," Lucifer revealed. Despite how many cruel things he wanted to do to Sting, Lucifer understood the circumstances. The fact that Clarion swallowed his Magic means that she has some use for him. Devilishly speaking, Lucifer understood that Sting was Clarion's tool for her own gain. However, humanely speaking, Clarion not only needs Sting to balance herself... but she also needs him to feel whole. Sting wanted to know more about Clarion, but Lucifer remained quiet with clenched fists. "I rather that Clarion-chan tell you herself if she's willing to tell you... You should be able to understand that swallowing an element deviant to your own as a Slayer causes grave side-effects. But... she should be fine. She should just rest until she can support herself."

With that said, Lucifer locked himself without letting Sting say another word to him. As devils should be... they should be locked away from the world anyways. Sting stared into space a few minutes until he noticed that Clarion was breathing harder. In theory, a God Slayer eating a different Dragon Slayer element would not be so bad as eating one within your own Magic. But who knows really? The fact that Clarion ate her entire opposite would suggest something. Sting remembered the time when he ate Rogue's shadow once for the hell of it. He was out of commission for at least a week, which would be impossible for Clarion to make it on the first day. He replaced the wet towel on her forehead and noticed her forearm again. The bandage was slipping and he could see dark green markings on her arm.

"It wouldn't matter... It wouldn't matter... It's okay... she doesn't mind...," Sting repeatedly thought to himself. He stared at her the whole time with his left hand softly caressing her cheek and his right hand slowly slipping off the bandages. He closed his eyes and moved them to her arm. He forced his eyes to open up quickly as possible, he was looking at the top of her mark. It was not a typical guild mark... but Sting finally saw the familiar winged creature with flowing feathers. "Fairy... Tail?"

He looked up back at Clarion's face with a surprised look. She was a member of Fairy Tail, a Fairy Tail Mage, in the same guild as the person that Sting always wanted to defeat and formerly looked up to... Natsu Dragneel. He backed off for a moment to soak in the information he finally learned. He felt ecstatic that being with her, he was getting closer to Natsu, but at the same time he felt guilty that he took advantage of Clarion's state to learn the truth.

* * *

><p>"What... happened?" I said groggily as I tried to get my body sitting up. My head was pounding as I held it in my hand. <strong>(And... she's back!)<strong>

"H-Hey! You shouldn't be sitting up! Rest you idiot!" Sting grabbed a hold of my shoulders and pulled them back down on the bed. I felt a breeze on a place that I never really felt in a long time... I looked at my arm and I see brightly shown, my Fairy Glitter guild mark.

"You..."

"I'm sorry, I wish I didn't. Not when you were out like that, I was just-"

"Don't, its fine. Geez," I said getting back up again.

"Don't you ever listen? I said rest!"

"I'm fine! Stop worrying!"

"How could you possibly be fine?! Eating another element not of your eye keeps you in bed for days, weeks! It's only been a few hours!"

"The hell if I know! You should be the one sleeping! You've been up all night haven't you?"

"I was taking care of you after you stupidly ate my Magic!"

"I had to!"

"Why?!"

"... reasons," I said as I looked away from Sting and proceeded to get out of bed. The vertigo was gone and I was feeling fine. I was a little groggy still, but I guess that's what happens when you've had a bad nap. I touched the necklace that Zeref had given to me. I always believed it had special properties and maybe this necklace sped up my recovery. Then again, God Slayers are on another scale of Magic.. so maybe eating a Dragon Slayer Magic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. "Thank you. I should get going."

"Why do you always do this?" he said while staring at me walking towards the door.

"What?"

"Come back to me, then leave just like that."

"The games are in 5 days... I'm sorry if I left the impression that I always come and go... but when the games start, it wouldn't be that way. We will be in the same area, the same spot, at the same event, I won't be going anywhere."

"You better not...," he pulled me into a hug.

"You reek..."

"Shut up, I'm being smooth," I laughed at him as he said that. He broke the hug and leaned closer to my face. I didn't know what he had in mind, but the next thing I knew. I felt something warm, firm, moist on my lips... The feeling lasted a few seconds and I felt my face feel warmer and warmer.

I punched him.

"Stupid Sting!" I yelled at him.

"Heyyyy... you're blushing," he wiped off the punch as if he was use to it by now. He smiled and I immediately walked out, but he followed behind. "Its just how a handsome, strong Dragon like me, claims their mate."

"Shut up."

And yet, I didn't say no... what does that make us now? The whole train ride back, I just kept thinking about how our futures will be. This isn't like a Romeo and Juliet story right? To hell it better be right. There's nothing wrong with being together, right? Our guild affiliation doesn't matter to us, right? It can work... right? Of course it can, it shouldn't matter if we are incompatible or different or fight all the time... if two people love each other and accept each other, it's enough. I guess... I would say that Sting and I _love_ each other. I will admit that I have no idea what love truly is, and Sting sure doesn't know what it is either. But I guess we can learn what it is together... maybe we can learn to understand each other like we couldn't before. Who knows...

As I got off the train, I went to the beach, since I don't know.. I kinda like it there. As I walked over, I noticed a sulking atmosphere.

"Clarion?" Lucy was the first to notice me.

"What's going on with you guys?" I asked them.

"It's an embarrassing story... but we couldn't bring up our Magic...," they admitted. I couldn't even imagine how they can pull that off that I just didn't ask. "How did your training go?"

Now that I realized it... I spend most of the time sulking, being out of commission... The most training I ever done was just sparring with Sabertooth and the little exercises with Mavis-dono and Makarov... Soon enough, I was sitting next to them sulking about the lack of training. Erza became absolutely monstrously outraged by this and demanded that we all go to hell to do our training. No sleep. Non-stop training. No rejections whatsoever. But a bird comically landing on her head kind of ended the fiery passion she just demonstrated. The bird had a note that was designated for Fairy Tail and it asked to meet up to a secret location. It seemed really sketchy to me and I voted to not go since it might be a trap. But since none of us had nothing to lose, and if it were goons, we would probably beat the shit out of them anyways... we went anyways.

We walked through a messy forest and the directions led us to a broken bridge. The group began to feel like going back, but the bridge suddenly repaired itself. It looked familiar... a familiar Magic... we walked over the bridge and were confront by three cloaked figures.

"Thank you for coming...," one of them said as they pulled down their hoods to reveal their identities. All of our eyes widened in shock as we realize who those three were. Meredy and Ultear... and that man I recognize, was Jellal. "... Fairy Tail."

They were now an independent guild, Crime Sorciere, that is focused on taking down Dark Guilds. The couldn't be a legal guild because they were Dark Mages that have committed crimes. They are all fugitives, but they committed their lives to taking away the evil in the country. They were amazing how they ended up 7 years later. Ultear, I use to not like her, but seeing how much she has changed, I can forgive her for being such a bitch back then. And Meredy... I never had a problem with her, but she has grown up into a beautiful woman. Her childhood was deprived ever since Ultear destroyed it, but she has grown a smile. They all seem okay with their lives and that is something I am proud of them for. After the introductions, they explained that an evil Magic has been lurking around the Grand Magic Games and they want us to help investigate it since we were the only ones they trust. It seemed kind of weird to do that, but we agreed since Ultear gave us the opportunity to boost our Magic. Cheating? Probably, but whatever it takes to get Fairy Tail back on top.

She tried to explain to us this 'Second Origin' thing but none of us really understood except for that fact that it is suppose to make us stronger and raise our Magic capabilities. I was especially stoked for this because this is probably going to help me control my Black Magic with the aided help of that White Magic and finally get to know more than 1 Black Magic spell.

The progress...

"HOLY FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK," I kept cursing. The markings all over our bodies gave us absolutely pain and torture. Ultear looked like she was enjoying this, damn what a sadist. But we all understood that this was all for getting stronger to compete in the games, we had to get stronger no matter the costs and this will help us gain that goal. ERZA, on the other hand, felt no pain at all and went through the Second Origin process with ease and pain free. What a monster...

But now, I can be the strong Mage I can be... I can be stronger to protect the ones I love... I looked down at my ring of locks and held them close to me. I can soon protect my devils as they have protect me all these years. I can repay it back all.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Please don't criticize the fact that I made Clarion go through the 'boost' progress instead of training, but I think it was the only way. I wanted her to see her former comrades anyways hehe. Thank you all for the reviewsfavorites/follows! They really mean a lot to me to see them! Please stick around again for the next chapter! Thank you my lovely readers!**


	11. Chapter 11: Let the Games Begin

**Ahhhhhh! Hellooo my sweet, sweet readers! Thank you for all the reviews and favorites and follows! It is coming up close to the games and I do plan on having my OC participate! I already have her placement planned out... so do not fret! Please enjoy this chapter and I hope you really like it and would keep reading this story til the end! Thank you again for reading!**

* * *

><p>It was sunset right now, and all I could hear were the screaming cries of the rest of guys and their progression of opening up their full potential through Ultear's non-arguable suggestion in order to participate in the games. I understood how Crime Sorciere wanted us to help them find out the source of this evil Magic that has came up in the past when the Grand Magic Games were held. The thing that bothered me the most was how they sensed that the Magic was closely associated with Zeref... I didn't speak up about it while they were explaining to the entire group because I didn't want to start up a commotion... obviously, I would retort against their findings. But then again.. I never had the feeling of this so-called evil Magic, so who would really know. Ultear and Meredy pulled me aside after I was finished releasing my second origin. They were a bit surprised at how I managed to finish before the others... but I guess it was because of Zeref'f necklace that has always watched over me.<em><br>_

"Clarion... you are probably uncomfortable at this proposal," Ultear said. "I know we had our differences, but let us put that behind us."

"I agree," I simply replied. I said it quite quickly without giving it a thought almost seeming as if I didn't care. But the stern look on my face proved otherwise. "And.. I won't lie. I am quite uneasy about this considering that this Magic might be linked with Zeref... but I will not stop you from your investigation. If anything, I will try finding things on my own and tell you guys and confirm if this Magic is of Zeref..."

"We will very much appreciate that Clarion," Meredy smiled. "None of us would disagree that no one would know Zeref's Magic better than you do."

"Quite so... but I do have to admit...," Ultear went into a concentrating look and pulled her hand to her chin. She looked down with a serious thinking facial expression and closed her eyes. "Now that we're standing here with you, the magical presence I feel coming from you does somewhat feel the same from that evil Magic..."

"Well, that might just be because you were raised by Zeref, Clarion," Meredy tried justifying the claim to me thinking that I might get upset or offended.

"I guess so... I hope I don't interfere with your investigation," I told them. "I know we have different views about how to feel about Zeref... but I really don't want that to cause any complications for the both of us."

"Oh no, we would never think you would be an interference!" she brightly reassured me. Meredy has become quiet the energetic young teen. I remember when she was younger back in Grimoire Heart that she was so empathetic, somewhat like a robot of some sorts. She hardly had any emotions and I would only see her react to thinks when it involved any communication with Ultear. "We respect your past and we thank you for understanding."

Meredy... strange enough, I think she is someone that can possibly really understand me. My family was practically murdered by the demons that Zeref had created and let lose on their own, which has lead to him indirectly killing everything that I grew up with. Meredy on the other hand had her entire town destroyed directly by Ultear who was under the impression that she can simply undo her mistakes as soon as Zeref walked Earthland again. It was strange how the both of us could forgive the people that took the things that we loved from us and learn to love something new in place of it. It isn't like replacing my family... they're irreplaceable of course... and there is no doubt that they were taken away from me... but still... when someone is remorseful for their actions, they acknowledge their mistakes and regret their decision to fall under the darkness.

"Yeah, don't think that Clarion," Ultear agreed. "We will be close by so if anything is sensed, we will be able to detect from the evil Magic that has been spawning there from yours. Alright? We can communicate frequently if anything happens."

I nodded to them and we parted our ways. I took one last look at the group and they were still looking like they were dying and suffering, oh boy. It was already turning to dark and I saw Erza talk with the three to say their goodbyes for now. I decided to join in and say my goodbyes as well. I waved to them and looked to Erza who had a blush across her face. I never seen Erza so flushed before and she looked absolutely beautiful. Happy came to kill the moment as he drew a broken heart in the sand which caused the Fairy Queen to full on kick him to the moon. I had to laugh at this scene since I'm sure Happy is fine, he knows Aera and all and can fly his way back to civilization.

"So you and Jellal, huh?" I smiled to her. She fretted about my comment and I tried to reassure her that I'm not trying to make fun of her. "I heard a lot about you two. You two been through a lot and it is quite moving how you two are still moving forward no matter how much has happened."

As like Erza can see pass Jellal's darkness and touch his light, I can see the light that Zeref has within himself... and hopefully, he is still walking this Earth and thinking about me. I hope he hasn't heard of my 7 year absence... and if he did, I hope he didn't do anything stupid. I know he loves me and cares for me and would do anything to keep me safe... I just hope, that he is still waiting there for me so I can see him once again and forgive him properly. I won't let him go the next time I see him... If I know he is close by, then I won't stop trailing him. I won't make the same mistake I did back on Tenrou Island.

"Yeah," she said smiling softly at me and took her hand out. "Thank you for the words, Clarion. You will be a great representation of Fairy Tail."

"Thanks, it is a pleasure being in the guild I think I was meant to be in," I took her hand and I accepted her welcome in the guild.

"Don't think," she said with a smile. "You were drawn to us."

* * *

><p><em>"Jellal..."<em>

_The blue-haired fugitive turned around to see his guild mate, Ultear Milkovich, calling out to him. Her tone was serious and he noticed that. Ultear is usually a serious type, but the atmosphere she left in the air using her presence made it noticeably distinct that she wanted Jellal to be serious in the conversation they were going to have. Jellal had an idea what she was going to say. He has heard of the infamous child that has been raised by the darkest Mage of all, Zeref, and saw that in the woman he saw for the first time. Sure, he has heard of her strength, but next expected to be this close to her while dealing with this business._

_"So, you know?"_

_"Yeah... I can feel it, even if it is just a tiny spec," his backed faced the Time Mage. "Are you just warning me? Or is there something more to it?"_

_"That is the primary basis... but don't let her past make you judge her in away way that she shouldn't be. To be honest, Clarion and I weren't so close back then... but seeing her 7 years later made me feel like I have an obligation to protect her. She has a fierce support of Zeref, but not for his killings or creation of demons. According to her, she was raised by a kind, gentle Zeref and believes that he is still just that. It is hard to trust her on that, but back on Tenrou Island that fateful day... I did see Zeref and he cared about life. Who know's what he has done lately... but..."_

_"Enough, Ultear," he cut her off. "I get it. I would gladly have it if she did not become involved in this... but there is no choice. Her destiny and life has been involved with Zeref ever since she met him and now it is the time where she has to face it all again."_

_Jellal had an uneasy time talking about this. It was like the situation he has with his childhood friend, Erza. In a way, they were alike. Those two grew up together and shared many memories that involved the both of them to grow up and move on. He has made regretful mistakes, but Erza still believes in him and sees that he has become a good person despite his past. Like Clarion, she has seen the light in Zeref and wants to bring it out in order for her to return the favor that he has saved her. He was Clarion's savior and she wanted him to know that. It was a difficult time right now, but you can only brace for it and go through it all with the people that love you. _

* * *

><p>It felt strange, but I felt really good about this. I told Erza I was going to go do some last minute training because I wanted to see the difference between my strength then and the newly acquired one. She let me go and told me to be careful which I may or may have not agreed to. I went to the other side of the beach which was remotely empty due to the fact that it was quite late for someone to be walking on the beach at this time. The moon was full and bright and the air was really cool, but I didn't mind. I went into a concentrating stance to hone into my newly advanced Magic.<p>

"So you returned, eh? Clarion-chan?"

I opened my eyes wide at the sound of that voice. Approaching me was a shadow, but as that figure walked into the light of the shining moon, it was Mavis-dono walking with a little smile across her face. Her bare feet left foot prints across the sand as she got closer and closer. I bowed my head down as I felt guilty and ashamed that I left her and Makarov during the time when they wanted to help me the most. She told me to lift my head and I just kept staring at her childish face with only the moon to help me see.

"You did well, Clarion-chan," she told me as I still felt like doubting myself. "You fully understand the concept of your Magic and you went ahead and tried to manipulate to fit your needs and everyone around you. That is the mind of a true Mage, Clarion-chan."

"I... I just...," she shushed me. I did not really know what to say at this point. Hearing the words of encouragement and praise isn't something that I was expecting to hear. I was being quite rash and I left without notice or even tried getting an approval. "Thank you, Mavis-dono."

"Now, do you need a test dummy?" she suddenly asked.

"Ehh? A test?" I questioned her taking a step back. "What for?"

"Hm? You were just going to test out your Magic now, weren't you Clarion-chan?" she questioned as she slightly tilted her head. Before I can respond to her question back, she spoke before I can say anything to her. "I know you don't want to hurt anyone, so why not test it out on me. I'm technically dead, so you do not need to worry about taking away my life. But I'll be able to feel the effects of the Magic and let you know how a normal, alive human being will react to the Magic. Okay? Clarion-chan? Give it your best as if it was the games right now and I am your opponent."

I hesitated at first because attacking someone I really hold dear is not my style, especially if I have to be serious about it. But I understood her logic and it made sense that it is physically impossible for me to accidentally kill her because she is already deceased. Worst case scenarios... I can either bring her back to life or make her spirit move onto the next world of who know what it is that ghosts go to. She prepared herself and I did too. I had to think deeply to identify what exactly is there new for me to try out. Considering the past, I've always been use to my Lock Magic.. so I should start off how it is now.

"Black God's...," I took a death breath and closed my eyes. "Lock."

It has been a long while since I have used anything associated with my Lock... Magic, at least until I found out that it was not a Lock Magic, but just a premature state of Black God Slayer Magic. A rather large black and white Magic seal appeared on the ground below our feet. This is the first spell that I have ever used while knowing it is the Magic that I have been truly to have. Zeref only taught me to lock things around me so I can use them instead and be able to defend myself. But that was not the case this time. Instead of having to lock individual attacks like I was formerly only been able to do, I can now lock things in a perspective radius. I asked Mavis-dono if she felt anything strange.

"It appears I cannot use any Magic," she said as I could see her spirit slowly disappeared. She was using Magic to project herself in front of the guild and I quickly dispelled the attack. "Clarion-chan, normally you would be able to deteriorate the life of anything that is within the radius of the seal. However, if I were human, I would not feel a thing."

"You wouldn't?"

"No... because Clarion-chan, you are the body of this Magic, you can control however you like to. Who suffers and who doesn't... it is the balance of death and living Magic my dear..."

"I.. I see," I felt relieved when she said that. That I am control of my Magic and if I don't want it to take anyone's life, I can control it and prevent it so I can't hurt anyone like that. I felt the power run through my veins and I grew more confident that I was growing my stability and manipulation of it.

"You know that stunt of yours was very risky and quite rash of you to do...," she suddenly said. I widened my eyes as my head raise to listening those words come out of her mouth. I was almost afraid of looking at her. I felt queasy, but as I slowly turned my head to see her, she had a normal face on. She was not mad looking at all. She wasn't smiling, but she didn't seem irritated at the same time. "But I am glad you made it. I'm impressed at your willingness to do the unexpected and come out with great results."

"I... don't even know my results...," I admitted. The only thing I noticed was a Magic Seal that was multicolored with the monotonic black and white. It didn't exactly look like a yin yang symbol, but the colors did swirl a little like it. I'm not sure if it made a difference, but I suppose it did in some way. By having White Magic inside of me, I can nullify the effects of Black Magic would have done.

"Clarion-chan," she said to break my train of thought and get my attention. I looked up back at her to focus on what she was going to say now. "Make sure that guy takes care of you."

My eyes widened as big as I have ever opened them. I quickly turned my face away from her gaze as soon as I felt my face heat up. I tried to cover my face a bit, but that just made it even more embarrassing. It scares me how much Mavis-dono really knows... now I wonder if I ever have any privacy. As soon as I felt my face cool down a bit, I looked back at her. She wasn't frowning or anything... she had a soft smile across her cheeks.

"Don't think that I'm always watching you, Clarion-chan," she read my mind again. "I am just able to predict things based on how much I know about you and how you have been reacting to things."

The Fairy Tactician for a reason I suppose... I just thought that was in the battlefield...

* * *

><p>As we arrived at our destination, the location of the Grand Magic Games, we were awed at the sight. Everywhere was absolutely beautiful and lively and full of entertainment. It felt so alive at the capital. There were flowers everywhere with petals flowing anywhere the wind takes them. The country of Fiore definitely has its pride conjested into its heart. The group sort of split apart as some of them went to sight see, others to view the town, others to eat. Erza and I partnered together to help the team find their respective lodging. We checked out the Honeycomb Lodging. Erza took the investigation seriously and checked every small detail in the room for anything suspicious. As suspected, we didn't really find anything in this innocent place. Afterward, we just settled down and relaxed for the big day.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Clarion," Makarov called me over to the side as Levy was reading off the big book of rules for the Grand Magic Games. He was whispering in such a soft tone as if he didn't want anyone to listen to us speak to each other. "Don't tell anyone this, but I would like you to be the reserve member for Team B."<em>

_"Team B? We can have two teams compete with reserve members?"_

_"Yes, someone else would explain for you why we need someone we can trust as a reserve member for that team."_

_"Oh... alright?"_

* * *

><p>I didn't know exactly why Makarov wanted to keep my participation to be a secret but I guess it didn't really matter. The reserve member rule was sort of weird to me as it just felt like a six member team rather than five? So whatever. Erza went to take a bath and I told her that I was going to catch up around the town and get use to the area. She agreed and warned me to keep an out for anything suspicious that might be lurking around Crocus. I assured her that I'll be careful, but who can really predict what will happen. I'm a walking mass of suspicion and dark evilness. The sun was setting pretty soon and the curfew for the Fairy Tail team would be coming up in no time. I wasn't part of an actual team team, so I suppose I should try finding some of the members and make sure they don't get to the lodging too late. I noticed a large crowd forming around a corner, but I was about to keep walking on.<p>

"Those are the dragons of Sabertooth!" I heard a bystander shout. My attention was quickly caught and I started heightening my pace towards the crowd. I heard a couple of punches and throws and figures that a bunch of guys wanted to pick on them.

"Sting and Rogue!" I heard another yell. I was trying to squeeze myself through the crowd, but it was far too thick for me. There were a lot of big, muscle guys crowded around in a circle and even I couldn't dive underneath them. I tried to hop on top on some shoulders but the crowd started moving and I was in a middle of a sandwich between a bunch of people wanting to get closer as well.

"Natsu Dragneel?!" I heard the voice of Rogue.

Natsu and the others are there? If I could remember, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy broke off into one group so perhaps they were there too. I don't know why but I could feel my heart racing. Why do I feel so nervous at the thought of Sabertooth colliding with Fairy Tail? It was like having two lives that I can't mix... Not that I don't want them to, but just that it just... it just can't, it wouldn't work. Seeing those two are like opposites... but I don't know, would it be a good thing too? I doubt it since Sabertooth thinks differently than Fairy Tail. From my time spending there, I could hardly feel a sense of love within the guild. Sabertooth is too stuck up in their ego that they only care about their social status as the most strongest guild in Fiore. Sure there were some connections such as the Exceeds with their respective Dragon Slayer partners, but other than that, there was absolutely nothing that holds that guild together other than their sense of pride. Fairy Tail, on the other hand, gains their strength through the bonds that they have that give them the motivation to be the strongest. Who knows? Whatever the case is, these two guilds will most definitely clash and it would kill me if that were to happen since... Sting and I... and yeah...

"So it is true!" The voice of Sting perked my ears that wanted me to get closer to see what was going on between the two. "The rumors of you and Fairy Tail entering the games... hah!"

"You know about me?" I heard Natsu respond. I was now trying to force myself closer and closer.

"Acnologia... the dragon you couldn't defeat, right? Then... what's the point of being a Dragon Slayer?" Hearing him say Acnologia stopped me in my tracks. Instead of trying to get into the center, I just wanted to calm myself down so I can listen to this conversation. Sting has a relationship with Natsu? Fairy Tail? What does he even think of this guild...? "I use to look up to you a long, long time ago."

"So, we wanted to become Dragon Slayers just like you," Rogue said.

"You two?! Dragon Slayers?!"

"You should probably call us "true" Dragon Slayers... after all, we'd probably been able to defeat Acnologia...," There it was... his arrogance again. "It wouldn't matter if we seen it or not. The fact that we're on a completely different generation is already proof."

Listening in, Lector began to tell them how Sting and Rogue were different. Sure, I knew that they were Dragon Slayers, but I didn't really but into what kind they were... it really didn't matter to me. But... I never knew that they were a combination of the 1st and 2nd generation of Dragon Slayers making them the new 3rd... both of them were raised by dragons and they also have a lacrima in their bodies?! That's completely insane... I guess I have to admit that the 2nd generation had their perks. I heard that they were able to immediately go into their Dragon Force forms by will whereas the 1st generation is able to consume other elements so I've been told... I suppose that I am technically a 1st generation God Slayer... so maybe that is why I was able to consume another element as my own..

But that didn't matter right now... Acnologia... the dragon that could've killed us all if it wasn't for Mavis-dono's Fairy Sphere... what right did he have to insult them like that? What right did they have to think that their so high and mighty? Well.. I suppose that was the Sabertooth essence in them that I've learned to get used to... but who knows how long that I could ever take that. It's not that I'm letting them push me and my guild around.. its more like that their words don't matter to me because I am true to myself that they are just talking talks.

"Did you lose your dragons too?" Natsu boldly asked out. I did heard that on the year X777, all dragons just disappeared without a trace leaving whatever they had behind. It was a topic that Natsu was quite sensitive about since he knows the feeling of losing a father and that he would never give up looking for him... Almost like losing Zeref... that feeling when he suddenly disappeared, but then reappeared, then I disappeared, now he's disappeared again.. and... I don't even know.. But I did wonder about that now that Natsu got me curious...

"Well.. not exactly," Sting's response perked my interest. What did he mean by "not exactly"? Did he not lose a dragon parent? Did they die some other way?

"Let's tell them the truth," Rogue said and the atmosphere suddenly felt grim. "The Dragon that taught us Dragon Slaying Magic... we destroyed it with our own hands... in order to become true dragons."

"They killed... a dragon?!"

"Humans... killed a dragon..."

"You killed... your _parents_..."

I shoved aside anything and everything that was touching me. The guys pushed up against me to see the tension was just being dragged away from my path. I didn't care anymore. I wasn't in the mood anymore. It didn't matter to me anymore what they would think. Apparently that got the attention from Sting and Rogue as they seemed shocked to see me emerged from the noise. Rogue looked as if he was ashamed of what he said, but it was more to me that he was embarrassed that I heard it. They didn't care that they took a life of the parent that raised them, they just cared that I was going to judge them. Sting tried looking away from my angry face, but he came forward to me like it was nothing.

"Clarion?" Lucy was the first to call out my name. Natsu and Happy, calming down slightly from their rage, turned their attention towards Sting and I. They didn't say anything further, and were just watching us... I ignored them, cause I was just focusing my attention on Sting and how disappointed I was.

"You killed your parent...? Really?"

"H-Hey... I-"

"No," I didn't let him justify himself. "You think that telling people that will make you think you're so strong and powerful? Really? What parent would fight back at their child? Huh? You took advantage of that fact and you claim that you defeated them with your own hands. You two didn't kill them with your own strength of being a Dragon Slayer, they just let you. They sacrificed themselves. You-"

With a sudden movement, he pulled me closer and our lips touched again for the second time. Again, his lips were moist and warm.. but I'm pretty sure mine were dry and cold from the talking. I didn't close my eyes as I was just shocked at how he would pull such a stunt in front of a crowd. I felt shy and embarrassed and I was just contemplating how should I react after he breaks the kiss.

I smacked him, he didn't seem shocked.

"Well, I got you to stop talking for awhile."

"It doesn't matter what you do, I'm still upset at you."

"Fine, if the main event turns out to be a battle, then I'll show you the true strength of a true Dragon Slayer."

"And we'll show you otherwise. Killing a dragon doesn't make you any stronger."

"Hmph, go back to your lodging."

Honestly, I didn't even know what just happened. Honestly, I didn't even know how should I feel. I guess I should let it go? Natsu and Happy were most aggravated by them, but for reasons the same as mine. Natsu was only peeved at their attitude, not their past remarks and same with Happy when Lector was belittling him. I guess all in all, they just don't want to be looked down upon and I don't either. So, I shouldn't be mad at him right? I mean, Sting is Sting and I already established that I accept him for who he is.. though, that doesn't necessarily mean that he can change for the better. Then again, I can't let him push me around like that. But I rather not stir up any drama that would affect my game play. Let the games do the silencing when Sabertooth sees how strong Fairy Tail really is.

I only hope that they don't give me a reason to hate them.

* * *

><p><strong>And let the games begin...<strong>

Fairy Tail Team B consisted on S-Class Mages: Laxus, Mirajane, and Jellal was said to be participating in as a former S-Class Mage, Mystogan. I didn't really understand how Jellal would be able to pull off something like that, but maybe they were related in some way. I wasn't so sure, but I wasn't curious enough to pester the guild about it. Gajeel and Juvia were also on the team and I heard they were S-Class Mages when they were back in their former guild, Phantom Lord. Sometimes I wonder why I was even part of this team as a reserve member cause I never had a title of being S-Class. I wasn't even a part of the 7 Kin of Purgatory in Grimoire Heart which you would probably consider them as S-Class Mages of the guild. But perhaps it was the fact that I have the blood of Fairy Tail's founder and I should be proud of demonstrating that blessing. Or perhaps Makarov just wanted to use this opportunity as a debut.

The rest of Fairy Tail was in a separate lodging from the participants. Since I was just a reserve member, I was not technically part of the real team so I stayed with the Fairy Tail that came along to cheer everyone along. Essentially, all of Fairy Tail were here. There was suppose to be more members than this, but I suppose since the most strongest members left, Fairy Tail's strength dwindled. Some people wouldn't have been able to handle the torment that the world had on them and just had to leave, I guess I can understand that. It was almost midnight and I just arrived back from that scene with Sting and Rogue and the team. I closed the door behind me, keeping eyes clothes and head down.

"Oh, Clarion!"

I looked up to the sudden voice. It was Lisanna and her brother, Elfman. They were holding a bunch of drinks and food and I thought I'd help out without them asking for any. Lisanna thanked me and I asked her what they were doing with these.

"We're going to give these snacks to the team," she said with a bright smile.

"Men need to fuel up too!" Elfman commented.

I thought that was pretty sweet of them, so I went along with them to support.

* * *

><p>As we entered their room, I noticed how there was something missing: Wendy and Charle. I asked Erza where they were and she did not know. Without another word, I immediately went out to go search for her.<p>

I remember Wendy and Charle wanted to do some sight seeing around Crocus' palace. My speed does increase whenever I am having an adrenaline rush like this. I couldn't sense any magical presence, but I noticed a little white speckle behind some bushes. I immediately ran over to the area and found Charle and Wendy passed out. I was about to help them, but a little black creature was jumping right towards me. I didn't know what was happening so I smacked it out of the way. I fell backwards and I saw a towering figure.

My mind suddenly went blank.

* * *

><p>I woke in an infirmary. Right next to me was Wendy and Charle much to my relief and I saw a pink-haired person. She explained to me who she was and what I had missed during my unconsciousness.<p>

There were 113 teams competing and 105 were going to get eliminated immediately... pretty extreme if you ask me. However, despite the lack of rules, there was still the requirement of having five members per team. Elfman suddenly volunteered himself and carried all the members toward the competition grounds, a sky labyrinth.

Lisanna and Happy were gonna go scope around the guilds that were competing in the Grand Magic Games. The most logical reason for Wendy's disappearance was that it was another guild's doing, the most plausible suspect was Raven Tail... the guild of Makarov's son. However, it could be any other guild that looked down on Fairy Tail, maybe even Sabertooth.

I got up. My head felt like it was just spinning and my body felt like its strength was completely drained.

"You made an impeccable recovery," Porlyusica noted. "I guess that is coming from a blood member of Fairy Tail's founder."

"H-How did you.."

"I'm Fairy Tail's advising pharmacist."

I didn't remember anything about Fairy Tail having one of those, but I didn't object. Porlyusica gave me some medicine to drink and she told me to keep resting a little while longer. I sighed since I didn't like feeling useless to the rest of the guild by being cooped up in an infirmary. But it wasn't Wendy or Charle's fault they were in here. I should've kept my eye out better so I could've taken out whoever was over there.

Suddenly the doors popped open from Fairy Tail's Team A. They managed to make it in 8th place which relieved me. They were overly concerned about our states, but I reassured them that I was fine, but Wendy and Charle were still on their way to recovery. Wendy woke up and started to cry at her failure to be a part of the team. It was pretty sad to watch her feel so helpless. She tried to recall what had happened to her.

"I can't remember it too clearly...," she said trying to hold back her tears at the same time. "But I remember a black creature..."

Almost like music to my ears.

"I remember a black creature too."

"What could have happened?" Elfman wondered.

"But I also saw a strange person thing. It had blue skin a large nose.. tall height... and the moment I saw it, I blacked out and then I woke up here."

The entire guild was disgruntled about the whole situation, but the team can't let this get in the way of their focus on the tournament. The calling of the teams that made it were about to be announced and our team was going to be called, so they had to go. Wendy apologized once more, but she was hushed so she can rest. Porlyusica separated us with the curtain and left the room to let us rest. I didn't feel like resting, so I just sat up in my bed. I heard the door open again and figured it was Porlyusica. But the shadow behind it wasn't a woman.

"Yo."

"Clarion-kun!"

"You guys?"

"What do you mean 'us guys'?"

"What are you doing here..."

"Sting-kun and I heard that you were attacked so he became worried and wanted to come see you before they had to go present themselves as first place from the preliminary event!" Lector waved his arms around while landing on my lap.

"Geez.. first," I smirked at them. "That would make it more of a challenge for us to make it to the top."

"Heh, I told you we'd win."

"The games only started, besides, it would make it more exciting."

"Are you still mad at me?" Sting suddenly said with a sullen look on his face. I sighed and patted Lector's head because he had the same look on his face too.

"It would take a lot for me to get mad at you," I told him. "If you're going to be your cocky, arrogant self, just don't do it around me or around my guild."

"We'll see."

"Whatever, go back to your guild."

"Feel better, but take your time so I won't have to see you compete. I don't want anyone hurting you and I don't want to see you get all butt hurt when you realize that Sabertooth is the strongest guild."

Before I could argue back at him, he kissed my forehead and waved goodbye.

"Stupid Sting."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the wait! I've been going through a lot of stuff lately so it's hard finding the motivation to write :( I hope you enjoyed though! My OC is really forgiving so I hope that does not bother you! I will try to write more often, but I can't promise anything that I think I will break! Enjoy your Easter! <strong>


	12. Chapter 12: Only Gets Better

**Ahhh so much bs is going on right now I can't write so well! But I tried! I hope I did not make any of you guys wait so long! Please enjoy the chapter and look forward to future ones! Thank you for stopping by and reading! There is nothing much I can really put for my OC to do in the first few events of the tournament so they will pretty much be summaries through her eyes, I hope you do not mind that I wanna make it quick to the parts where my OC will participate! Thank you and please enjoy! I hope the OOC-ness does not irk you :C  
><strong>

* * *

><p>I felt completely normal after a little bit more rest, so I decided to be part of the audience rather than just listen to senseless screaming from behind the walls. As I stepped out into the amphitheater, I couldn't find the designated Fairy Tail area that well. I'm not exactly that short, but I'm not exactly that tall. Perhaps I went the wrong direction when walking out here. However, I did notice two little cats cheering their heart out, well at least I know they are. They were standing over the ledge to have the best view of the event. I walked right behind them and they were shocked, but not shocked to see me.<p>

"Claire-kun!" Lector shouted. "I heard from Sting you were in the infirmary. Pfft, whatever it was I bet Sabertooth wouldn't have to be in the infirmary for it."

"Its a special event, don't make me smack you," I poked his forehead. I leaned over the ledge with Frosch in-between my arms and underneath my chin. Lector climbed onto my head to get a higher view of everything going on. "So what's this event?"

"It's hide-n-seek! Everyone is trying to find the real copies among the many clones wandering around the arena," As Lector kept explaining, I noticed a touch on my forearm. I looked down with my eyes and noticed Frosch examining my Fairy Tail guild mark.

"Something wrong, Fro?"

"Clarion is in Fairy Tail," he said. "Would that make you hate Sabertooth?"

"Win or lose, I still care for you guys," I told him as I patted his head.

"Yeah, Fro cares about Clarion too!" he responded cheerfully with his harms raising high.

"Still, Claire-kun, look," he pointed to me forward to see the current scoreboard. Fairy Tail A and B were both at the bottom 2. It was quite upsetting to see, but it was only the beginning. Suddenly, the sky turned darker and the cameras were focusing in on Rufus. He was a Memory-Make Mage. Personally, his Magic is the hardest for me to understand. As far as I knew, a Molding Magic would allow the user to manipulate tangible elements, but to manipulate memories was a completely different level of creation Magic. To allow himself ahead of the game, Rufus devised a plan to memorize where all the participants were and followed them using his mind. He has an extremely high memory capacity which gives him an advantage in this sort of game with this sort of circumstances. With just one attack, Night of the Falling Stars, Rufus was able to strike down every opponent and give himself 5 points. What a lucky bastard. The guy from Raven Tail managed to dodge the attack and tried retaliating the attack, but even Rufus himself is just a memory that can make copies of himself. Again, lucky bastard.

Quite upsetting to see Fairy Tail have a bad start instead of starting off strong. I noticed that the Raven Tail guy kept on targeting Gray which was quite difficult for him to get any points as he kept getting attacked, leaving him with nothing. Juvia, on the other hand, had difficultly as well which only left her with a single point. Seeing this was sort of depressing, but it would just mean we have to work harder for the things we want. Great, I hate working harder, but it can only more fun from here.

"See, Claire-kun?" Lector patted my head to get my attention on him. "Sabertooth is super strong!"

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch agreed.

"I never said you guys were weak...," a sweat drop appeared behind my back and I sighed.

The next event was the battle portion of the day. It excited me that Lucy from Fairy Tail A would be going up to battle, I wanted to see how much more stronger she got. But the tension was more heavier seeing how she was going up against a Raven Tail member. The Raven girl, Flare was her name, utilized Hair Magic as her expertise. Quite a creepy Magic for a creepy girl in a creepy guild, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. I noticed Lucy was able to use two keys at once with ease, I believe that is a jump from her abilities before, quite nice, especially when the two spirits can use Unison Raid effortlessly. After seeing the spirit, Cancer, be summoned, it seemed like her weakness would be any other weakness for hair: sharp things that cut through. Sometimes I wondered why didn't Lucy just keep Cancer out since he seemed like her best spirit for this... Maybe she wanted to keep going to see how many spirits she can summon. She seemed like she was getting the upper-hand at this, however, things suddenly shifted. Flare had her in a tight not.

"What's going on?" Lector asked. "I thought she had her."

"I thought so too... a battle doesn't just switch sides like that for no reason...," I pondered. The stand off lasted a good while until Natsu suddenly ran over to the Fairy Tail section and ripped a piece of Flare's hair that was getting close. "What a coward."

"Fro thinks so too!"

Instantly, Lucy sprang back into the favorable side and summoned Gemini to turn into her. Together, they were reciting an incantation, Urano Metria.

* * *

><p><em>"Huh...?" <em>

_"Thalia Metria, Clarion," Zeref said once more, patting my head as he said it this time. "It is a powerful spell."_

_"What about it though?" I tilted my head to the side. _

_"The Ultimate Magic of the Sins."_

_"Sins? Like..."_

_"Yes," he cut me off short. I wanted to asked him why again, but he continued without me having to. "If one day, your sins are not there. You may use this spell as the last line of defense, Clarion. You may not know it now, but when you are truly away from your sins, it will come to you."_

_"Zeref worries too much," I told him. "I can take care of myself! You don't need all these back ups!"_

_For once in a long time, I saw him smile a little. He took my hand and we continued walking to who really knows where. Sometimes I wonder if Zeref would know where he was going. But it made me happy to be by his side. He was somebody that cared about me and always taken care of me._

* * *

><p>Urano Metria... the Ultimate Magic of the Stars... and Thalia Metra... the Ultimate Magic of the Sins.<p>

"Claire-kun! Claire-kun!" Lector snapped me out of it. Right in front of us was a brilliant ray of light. Lucy was beginning to finish her incantation and release her ultimate spell to end the battle.

"Urano Metra!" she finally said.

However, as we all await for the light, it was not there. It suddenly vanished. It was a devastating turn of events and Lucy collapsed from using up all her Magic on that final attack that was utterly left useless. This wasn't right, this shouldn't have happened. Someone is playing dirty, and that makes me angry. Lucy's hard work is forced to be held back just because someone can't afford to lose. Raven Tail... assholes. During their status as a Dark Guild, they were the only one that were not a part of the Balam Alliance that Grimoire Heart and a few others were in. I heard they were considerably strong to keep up that status to be a solo guild.

The next battle was Ren Akatsuki of Blue Pegasus VS Arania Web of Mermaid Heel. Ren won.

After was War Cry of Quatro Cerberus vs Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth.

Lector and Fro were going mad with cheering along with the rest of the audience that cheered for Sabertooth. I never really could have imagined how much a crowd could really show some love for this guild. It was quite a spectacle that I could only sweat drop it about. From one end of my ear, I could hear Sting's voice yell out for a good battle between the two in which he got the opposite with Orga just ending the battle right then and there. To which Orga just started to sing about Sabertooth being the best. I would sometimes hear him practice a bit while hanging around their building. That quick flash of black lightning though... I forgot that Orga was a God Slayer as well.

Well, the last battle was between Fairy Tail B and Lamia Scale. The participants were Mystogan and Jura Neekis, quite a start of the day by bringing out Lamia Scale's most power member and if I remember, he was also a member of the Magic Saints. It would be quite a feat for any other combatant of the games, but then I remember how Jellal was also a member of the Magic Saints under the ruse of Siegrain. I didn't know quite much about him other than through information given by Ultear when she manipulated him.

The match looked pretty even in the beginning with Jellal having some minor mishaps here and there, probably because he didn't want to blow his cover... that would most likely get Fairy Tail disqualified and questioned if they found out we were harboring a fugitive. He ditched trying to copy the real Mystogan's Magic and went to use his own so he can fight better. It was quite risky to do so because some people have certain Magic's that are unique to them. In the middle of the battle, I noticed a familiar mark on his hand. It was hard to see from far up but I could tell it was Meredy's little link Magic that would link the two's touch. I wonder why they would link the two together. Is she trying to give Meredy something to boost his Magic? Energy? Potion? Or-

"..."

Nothing to be said.

And so... the points ending for the day left Fairy Tail A and B at a rough spot.

**1. 20P Sabertooth**

**2. 18P Raven Tail**

**3. 16P Lamia Scale**

**4. 14P Blue Pegasus**

**5. 3P Mermaid Heel**

**6. 2P Quatro Cerberus**

**7. 1P Fairy Tail B**

**8. 0P Fairy Tail A**

Between first place and last place, Fairy Tail was quite far behind from Sabertooth. It was 19-20 point difference and that would be challenging to make up within a week's worth of games and battles. However, looking at a brighter note, Fairy Tail was not trailing far behind Mermaid Hell or Quatro Cerberus. If we were to be matched up against them, Fairy Tail might easily be able to knock them down from their rank. However, each guild would have their own trump card.

I could feel Lector's jaw on my head indicating that he was opening his mouth to say something. Before he could say anything cheeky that would throw over my calm demeanor I told him, "Don't say anything Lector," and he instantly closed his mouth. He probably has some kind of look proud look on his face. Today wasn't a great start for Fairy Tail, but it was only the beginning.

The first day has officially concluded and the audience made their way out of the seats and out of the exit. Lector, Frosch, and I decided to wait til everyone has departed before making out way out to avoid the crowd. Maybe to some extent I'm afraid of crowds, but I don't want to risk having a panic attack in such a public area to find out. As the final group as left, I was about to follow behind.

"Clarion!"

I looked over to see the Fairy Tail crew with Makarov right in front giving Asuka, Alzack and Bisca's daughter, a piggy back ride. I smiled at them, but then I realized I had two of Sabertooth's members right on my head and shoulder. The awkwardness filled the atmosphere and I was afraid what they were going to say next.

"We'll be celebrating at a bar, come join us!" Makarov brightly invited to my relief he wouldn't say anything about Sabertooth.

"I will," I said. "I'll catch up with you guys soon."

"Great!" Makarov began to leave as well with his guild following behind him, I waved to Mavis-dono who was still alongside them. I watched everyone walk by giving eye contact to each of them. A few of them smiled, a few of them were confused, a few of them just acted like whatever. It was difficult knowing what they were thinking, but I hope that they wouldn't mind how close I was to Sabertooth. I'm sure they won't think just because I'm close with a few members that I would throw over the games for them, as if.

"C'mon, let's go find Sting and Rogue," I told them with feeling like some kind of rift has cracked.

* * *

><p>Settling upon a little tavern that Fairy Tail's alcoholic, Cana Alberona, had been making profits for, the guild was having their using rowdy celebrations. Despite how the first day was sort of depressing, nothing became sad anymore with some nice booze and laughter echoing around the bar.<p>

"... so pathetic...," Cana hiccuped. "We had our most powerful members in Fairy Tail and look at how badly you guys lost!"

"Quite harsh of you to say considering you were just bar hopping the entire time...," Elfman retorted, but did not react aggressively since Cana was most likely drunk and didn't really mean what she was saying. Come to think of it, most of Fairy Tail was quite wasting their troubles away in the alcohol.

"Then why don't we all have to toast to commemorate our crushing defeat~!" Master Makarov slurred while waving around his mug of booze.

Everybody was getting quite worked up. The fatal blow on the first day just caused everyone to want and try even harder to move up to the top of the rankings.

_"So hey... what's with Clarion?"_

_"What do you mean? Oh, how she's like... super close to Sabertooth? Yeah.. I wonder how that happened..."_

"Hah!" Natsu laughed at hearing the conversation. "Clarion is probably weaving her way closer to the enemy so she can tell us their secrets!"

He smirked and laughed along with a few other guild members that joined into their humor.

"Ho~?" Cana stepped and slammed her bottle of alcohol onto the wooden table. "Buttttt~ I've been hearing chit-chatsss arounddd he-..reee and there... Word on theee.. stree-eet is that Claiirrreee-channn and somee guyyy in Sabertooothhh are... ya knowwww... togeethurrrrrr~!"

"Clarion?"

"Oh yeah... huh...," Natsu said.

"What do you mean, oh yeah? You know about this Natsu?"

"When we were watching a fight! We met the Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth and those Exceeds!" Happy said.

"Yeah, and that Sting guy kissed her, but then she kinda slapped him...? Is that how love works?"

"WOAH A KISS?!"

"Hmmmmm...," the whole guild went into deep thought.

* * *

><p>As we were the last ones to leave the arena, it wasn't really hard for me to find Sting and Rogue, they entire group happened to be together just trying to plan out what to do for the rest of the day. Despite how a competition and battle portion seem to be quite time consuming, it really didn't take up so much time as I thought it would. Today was still quite young and it sun wouldn't be setting anytime soon. I caught up with them and the cats easily switched over to their respective partners, congratulating them on a job well done almost as if they were mocking me how Fairy Tail was in dead last. I quickly gave off a facial expression that I didn't want them to say anything about that, not really a topic I would like to talk about with the winning time as of now.<p>

"Well...," I sucked in my gut and took a deep breath. "Gratz' on the win Rufus, Orga."

"Why, thank you for the praise Miss Ferez," Rufus tipped his hat in respect hiding his eyes underneath the shadow it created. He smiled a bit, but I couldn't really tell if that was an actual smile of appreciation or just a sly smirk.

"No need to get all formal...," I softly responded and Orga suddenly began patting my head.

"Just safe yourself the embarrassment Clarion," the Lightning God Slayer said. "No one's gonna take Sabertooth's number one title."

"Zip it, Sparky," I slapped his over-sized hand off of my head and pointed my finger and told him that ain't nothing is gonna be official until the end of the final day of the final match. On one side of my ear, I can hear a little Yukino giggling just a little bit that I couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Will we be seeing you in the games soon, Clarion-san?" she asked.

"Ah who knows," I said. "I'm just a reserve member for Fairy Tail B, but I'll try to squeeze myself in some action. I needa prove to you guys my strength too y'know. I just hope that when it comes to the battle portion that I don't get match up with any of ya."

"Fufufu... cause we would just trample all ova ya?" Sting winked at pointed a finger at my forehead. I grabbed his hand away from my face and used my other hand to point as his chest.

"You wish!" I raised my voice at him, getting all up close into his face. "I just don't wanna have to go all our on your guys and make a fool of yourselves!"

The rest of Sabertooth, other than Rogue, began laughing at our bickering. They, including Lector, left us aside as they planned on returning to their lodge and maybe get a few hours of training or grab some grub. Sting and I said our goodbyes to them and then it hit me... we were alone. And I noticed that I was still holding his hand. I released my grip so I can move my hand away, but Sting quickly grabbed a hold of my hand again, not letting it go. I looked over to him and he was smirking as always. He began walking the opposite from where the others were going. I was scared to look at Sting cause of the blush I kept feeling over my cheeks.

"Geez, you're so shy when it comes to these sort of things," I could tell that Sting was smirking again. He didn't look at me to talk though. "Kinda cute."

"Stupid Sting," I responded fighting back the nervous sounding voice that let out. "Where are we going?"

"I figured that you'd want to be with your guild," he told me. It was kind of sweet of him, this was the kind of Sting I like to see. When you can get pass his outer shell, this inner side just hides away most of the time. He really does have the potential. To people he cares about, he really does seem to care about them. The sun was beginning to set and as we walked down the stone pathways, it was like walking towards the horizon. "So how are you?"

"Hm? How am I? ... Fine?" I answered quite awkwardly because he just suddenly asked.

"You sure?" he persisted. "Eating Magic... getting jumped... a certain someone like me would hella worry okay?"

"Yeah.. I know... I'm fine... thanks though," I tried reassuring him. "I know it weird... but just trust me alright? As long as I could remember, I was always able to heal pretty quickly. I wasn't born with it or anything, but as long as I kept something close to me, I could always manage to get back on my feet again. It's not that I don't care about your concern or anything.. I'm actually really happy that you worry a lot."

He sighed.

"The tavern is just around the corner, I can walk the rest of the way myself," I told him as I let go of his hand. "I'm sure you want to go back to Saber too."

"Well, alright then... but... hey," instead of turning the other way, Sting approached me closer and closer. He got all up in my face, almost nose to nose. He had his usual smirk almost as if he thinks that I am able to understand what he says from just looking at his facial expressions. I couldn't really tell what he was asking for, but the zero distance from our faces kept making my face feel warmer and warmer. I couldn't tell what he wanted, he was looking at me as if I could understand his facial expressions. All I see right now is an idiot with a sly smile and raised eyebrow. After a few moments, he realized that I wasn't getting it. He sighed. "I want you to kiss me, Clarion."

It took me a few moments to absorb in what he had just said to which I took a step back away from his face, "EHH?!"

"Still so shy with this stuff?" Sting laughed before stepping forward closer to me. "Tell me, have you ever craved me?"

"Wh-What?" I turned away from his gaze and crossed my arms letting him see my back. My face was getting warmer and warmer, and I could tell from the heat that I was blushing like crazy right about now. Knowing Sting, he would just tease me more about it and probably would make me blush more if he just pointed it out. I could hear him laughing to himself. "Stupid Sting."

"Ah... don't be like that, I was just kiddin'," Sting giggled underneath his breath as I felt his arms curl around my abdomen. He slightly arched his back forward to rest his chin on my shoulder. "So, I heard you were a God Slayer."

The words I heard suddenly coming from his mouth twitched my ears as my head slightly turned to look at Sting. He had his eyes closed, such a tranquil face after such a random comment. I can feel my throat begin to tighten up and my mouth became dry. I couldn't tell if I was even breathing or not. I looked away from him, we were still in the same position, but I didn't know what to say to him. How did he even find that out? I would believe that he deduced to the conclusion after eating his White Magic, but he said he heard... somebody told him. But who knew to tell Sting? Mavis-dono... Makarov... possibly Ultear and Meredy... or maybe Jellal... I don't know... there wasn't anybody that knew Sting to tell him or had a reason to. Nobody else really knew Sting but...

"Lu...cifer?" I croaked out. I felt my body shaking and Sting's arms only held me tighter.

"Yeah, he came out while you were unconscious."

"I see...," is all I could reply back. "Well... so what if I am?"

"Nothing, I don't care," he said. "Just tellin' ya so when you show off your Magic in front of me, you won't get all upset when ya see me not be impressed."

"Hmph, I wouldn't even mind anyways. I'm not like that. I see you do that all the time in front of other people and that is just pathetic and lame of you to do. I don't need to go put myself out there just to try and be cool to impress you. "

"Ah, so you already know that I already like ya?"

"I wonder sometimes," I snickered at him. To be honest, I don't think I really did know exactly why or maybe I just didn't know how to voice it out. Hm... Sting Eucliffe eh? How? I suppose that he charmed me over through his stupid antics, his stupid smile, his stupid self. But is also protective and caring. It is that self of him that I do like. Is it wrong of me to only like him when he being like... a boyfriend? Instead of a cocky Mage preaching about the strength of his guild. I suppose it is natural to have a sense in pride of your own guild... but he could be less of a jerk about it. "But thanks."

"Thanks?" he blinked and tilted his head. He was still looking straight at me with a face of a confused little puppy. "Thanks for what?"

"Liking me."

"You're the one being stupid this time," he pulled my arm to drag my body closer to his. He held me close with my eyes barely looking over his shoulder. One hand was on the back of my hand while the other was across my lower back. I didn't really say a word to his comment, the moment we were having right now just seemed so surreal that I wanted to relish the position we were in now. Slowly, my hands climbed up behind him and held him back. "I should be thanking you."

"Why? Aren't you use to people liking you?"

"Well, all of them are motivated through my affiliation with Sabertooth and my good looks of course... but no one really cared about who I am. I would never be honest with anyone, frankly because there was no reason to when they did not care. Like that girl from yeah... she was the same. They only come to me either for a good time or a good reputation. Maybe some of them did honestly want a good relationship, cause who wouldn't want me? But... I could never return the feelings. It was when I met you is when I had feelings for someone else. I would never care if anyone I was with had issues, got hurt, or whatever.. cause they would only come to my side to look good. So, it is strange being with someone that just likes me."

"Stupid Sting...," I muffled in his vest. "I'm always so rash, so blunt, so... me, that I didn't expect anyone. I always hit you and stuff."

"Yeah, well, they never hurt," I scoffed at him, but he loosened the embraced so that he could kiss my forehead. "I'll walk the rest with you. Ya never know what kind of creeps will try getting what's mine."

"Still stupid," I told him as he held my hand. "Have you always been like this?"

"Sure," he said. "But that was just for her. With you, I do it because I want to. You have the best, so you deserve the best."

"But... am I the best?" I laughed at him. "I didn't grow up around places that would allow me to experience this sort of things. So I don't really know how to be this way?"

Essentially, that was true. I only grew up with Zeref and Grimoire Heart. It was either an old guy with a beard, a goat, a fat chubby weird guy, a guy with a weird hair cut, and a guy that looked scary. Not exactly the best of my choices... Now that I think about it, what ever happened to the rest of Grimoire Heart? Perhaps they perished on the island with Acnologia? ... and what about Zeref? Where has he been up to for the past 7 years... Sting laughed at me. He never really exactly asked about my past before, and neither did I. I wonder if I really did wanted to know. Do I need to know? Don't think so. I don't care. At least whenever I get curious, I easily get over it. From the noise coming from the tavern, we already expected it to be none other tha Fairy Tail.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I sighed. Without saying a goodbye back, Sting only kissed my head and told me to be safe. As if my life is in any danger or anything.

Entering the tavern, the stench of alcohol was so strong that it could almost be felt in the air. A muscular guy, slurring, barely walking straight, smiling like an idiot, red like a tomato, holding a bikini top, and drunk as fuck was about to exit out the way I came in. Or at least I thought so.

"Oh?" he suddenly stopped in front of me and lowered himself to match our eyes. He reeked of alcohol, almost more aromatic than how Sting reeks of stupidity. "Erzaaa, yaa neva told meh that you hadd this cute beautyy in your guildd toooo~"

"Clarion? She's fairly new in the guild."

"Who's this...," I tried avoiding him, but he kept staring at me funny. He started leaning in closer and I smacked him out of the way. But he just kept bobbing around like a bobble head. "What's wrong with him..."

"Don't sorry about him. He's just Bacchus, an S-Class Mage from Quatro Cerberus."

"Hoho... wild...," he came closer again. Kind of getting on my nerves. "Say... Clari-channn... how bout' a drinking contest?"

"Oh no you don't!" Macao and Wakaba butted in after covering up Cana. I assumed that he was in a drinking contest with her earlier and stole her top... what a creep. They tried to intervene and kick the crap out of him, but he only shoved them away with no ease at all. He was strong. I suppose as an S-Class Mage, he can take on anyone that gets thrown at him. He returned his gaze back onto me.

"Oi, Bacchus enough!" I heard Erza yell at him. I balled my hand into a fist and was about to wail at his face until a figure suddenly shoved Bacchus aside.

"Sti-"

"Touching my woman, eh?" Sting said as he shoved Bacchus onto the other side of the bar which caused him to slightly crack the wall.. that was probably going to be on the Fairy Tail tab.

"I could've done that too y'know... why didn't you go back?"

"I was going to, but then I smelled something and came back to check up on you. I told you there were creeps that would try to touch you!"

I had to smack Sting in the head to calm him down. He began starting a scene with Bacchus, and I had to remind him of that Sabertooth reputation of his. Anything bad like this could escalate further and disqualify him from the competition or maybe his entire guild from competing. Bacchus finally left and Sting followed afterwards. It was quite awkward being around him in front of the guild. And after he left and turned my head towards, I couldn't help but notice the evil atmosphere that was forming around the tavern. They suddenly pulled me into the large crowd of drunkards and laughing out loud. Oh geez, they were all wasted.

But it was fun. Smiling, laughing, bad singing, drinking, and just having a good time with each other. It can only get better from here on out.

* * *

><p><strong>Ta da! The next chapter will immediately go into the next day of the games! Sting was probably mega OOC here, but bleh... we. Thank you guys for your patience and I hope you still keep sticking around until who knows when I'll end this series! There is still lots to come around, so please keep it up with your reviews/favorites/follows/and your support! **


	13. Chapter 13: Fairies and Tigers

**Thank you so much for the previous reviews/favs/comments/thumbs up/oh. And thank you so much for the patience kept up so far! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Please do!**

* * *

><p>When the stadium was being filled up early before the official start of the second day of the games, I noticed how Lector and Frosch were already at their usual spot over the ledge. I bid my morning to them and Lector instantly climbed to the top of my head and began to pat it. He told me how Sting told him the story about what happened yesterday at the tavern with Bacchus and all. Based on his side of the story, I could already tell that Sting may have stretched the truth...<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Sting-kun! Welcome back!" Lector felt overjoyed by his Dragon Slayer partner returning to the dormitory. "Why do you look a little worked up?"<br>_

_"Tch.. you should've been there Lector!"_

_"What? What happened?!" Lector repeatedly jumped up and down from the excitement that Sting left. His slightly dirtied clothes and roughed up hair made Lector itching for a story from his idol. Sting changed into his sleeping clothes, and sat on his bed crouched over forward to meet the eyes of an exceed looking up with a smile and glowing eyes. This was the thing that made Sting so close with the tuxedo cat._

_After a very... very Sting-induced story and the duo comfortably got themselves in bed ready for tomorrow._

* * *

><p>"First of all...," I started off with. "Bacchus didn't even lay a finger on me and I totally had it under control! I was ready to kick the crap out of him if I needed to, but nooooo! That idiot just intervened as if I was a helpless little marshmallow or something. Plus, he didn't even give him any sort of "taste of his own medicine." All he did was push him to the other side of the room and after that, all I did was hit him and yell at him! THAT part of the tab went under Fairy Tail's name too! That-"<p>

"Well, Claire-kun," Lector stopped me midway. "Maybe that was Sting-kun's way of paying him back."

"... Oh, well then."

* * *

><p><em>"Hey.. Sting-kun," Lector softly said as he knew his White Dragon Slayer partner was still awake. "Remember what you said?"<em>

_"I say lots of things, Lector," Sting quietly replied without moving an inch from his sleeping position. He heard Lector shifted around some more before he started to speak again.  
><em>

_"When you said how Clarion was just going to be a bridge for you to get closer to Natsu... you never intended to go this far did you?"_

_"I say the craziest things, don't I?" Sting admitted. "That's what I thought initially. Things change though... and I'm just taking this as it flows. I'm not really sure what I'm getting myself into here. Just... get some rest, Lector. I'm gonna participate in the game tomorrow, it's time I get some action anyways."_

* * *

><p>As the second day's competition portion of the event was set in stone, Sting really did participate this time. Perhaps because he saw Bacchus went ahead himself, that guy... always trying to make a point or one up someone he just doesn't like. Well, I'm pretty sure that Sting had showing off in mind, but that didn't really work out for him in this sort of game. Chariot, a type of mechanism used in the old days for travel and transportation. Many of them were lined up head to butt from start to finish. The crowd was laughing uncontrollably at the sight of Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting just suffering. I couldn't hide in my laughter that this scene. Here we have Sting, a cocky ass, stubborn, and always want to be the last one standing. Well, technically he is the last one... last in place. Based off off Lector's story with him last night, this was quite funny of him to have to deal with this sort of karma. It is nice to see him struggle for once instead of always assuming that him and his guild are the best of the best. Frankly... I would love to say that in Fairy Tail's favor, but our Dragon Slayers decided to compete in this game portion and are dead beat from the chariots as well. And what makes it worse on Sting was that Bacchus was in heat of first which was the guy that Sting wants to take down the most right after Natsu and maybe Gajeel. I was always curious about his connection to Natsu. Before the long seven years of absence, Lector mentioned that Sting had always look up to Natsu, but got disappointed when he couldn't beat Acnologia which gave him a bigger sense of ego because he defeated a dragon himself.<p>

I can never really understand why a student or disciple would want to defeat their master or teacher or whatever person they idolize. However, in my case with Zeref, he was never really a teacher, more like a guardian. But still, is defeating your teacher the only thing that matters in the world? I can't really speak on behalf on everyone else... I was raised in order to defeat Zeref, perhaps, but I rather not think of it. This wasn't the time to. Zeref is still no where to be found and there isn't really any gossip or news about him anyways. I suppose that Fairy Tail were the only ones that knew of his dormant existence and Grimoire Heart were wiped out to prevent spreading the news.

"It's for our comrades. There were waiting for us... always... for 7 years, and protected the guild. Even if they were made fools of, they endured and endured no matter how tough it was, how matter how sad it was," Natsu said to Sting ask to why Fairy Tail tries so hard to make it back to the top. Stupid Sting, what kind of a question is that? "We'll show you. For our comrades,... THE PROOF THAT FAIRY TAIL HAS KEPT GOING! AND THAT'S WHY WE WE'LL KEEP MOVING FORWARD!"

"Natsu..."

It is quite amazing to see a guild still be left standing after having to live with torment and pain after so long. Losing so many members at one time must have been an enormous toll on the rest of the guild. They were all loved too, they were not just random members that was allow admission in the guild. It was like losing an entire family, a huge family that left a gaping hole in their hearts. It reminds me of when Zeref disappeared. Waking up one morning... and realizing that Zeref was gone. Despite being always reminded that Zeref wouldn't always be there for me, it was still a shock to have to go through the journey of finding him again at such a young age. There was a big hole in my heart. And I wonder if Zeref felt like that when Acnologia obliterated the entire Tenrou Island.

But then I met the rest of Fairy Tail, Mavis-dono, and... Sting. They filled up my heart. I have a family and... Sting now... new entities that I can protect and fight for, and live for.

I could tell Fro felt moved back after that. Lector, on the other hand, turned away as if he was not phased at all by Natsu. But, that Fire Dragon Slayer does have quite the ability to change people's perspectives through his passion and dedication. He is sincere through his words and that is what makes someone true to their heart. When they say something and definitely mean it, there isn't much to it but that. I didn't want to point anything out to the two Exceeds, but in a way, they should have a different view towards us fairies. Being at the bottom of the low does not mean we are nothing of important or have the in-capabilities of moving back to the top. There was a reason why Fairy Tail was number one before, and they can still try to achieve that again.

Sting gave up to points to Natsu and Gajeel, sweet boy.

**1. Raven Tail 26  
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**2. Sabertooth 20 **

**3. Lamia Scale 20**

**4. Blue Pegasus 17**

**5. Quatro Cerberus 12**

**6. Mermaid Heel 9**

**7. Fairy Tail B 2 **

**8. Fairy Tail A 2**

"To think that Sabertooth's in second place...," Lector said in awe at the new scoreboard standings. Losing half the points of the day was a huge blunder on the team considering that Raven Tail was not far behind them. Fairy Tail was still far behind, but we can close the gap either further if we win the battles.

"It's all Sting's fault!" Fro said, I couldn't say it any better.

Finally, the battle portion of the day. I get more excited during this time because it is always fun to see how gets matched with who, especially if Fairy Tail gets matched up with Sabertooth, that would an epic battle.

The first pair to fight was between Raven Tail and Lamia Scale. It was an interesting match-up considering that it would determine whether or not the gap between the two teams would get closer, or if Raven Tail would have a bigger lead. Toby and Kurohebi were called in to battle, and it did not seem like any contest. No offense, but the dog guy didn't really have a chance. Growing nails? Really? Common.

The next battle match-up was announced: Elfman of Fairy Tail A VS Bacchus of Quatro Cerberus

The entire guild was in shock. Elfman was only an S-Class potential and arguably someone that was on a lesser level from Bacchus who is an S-Class Mage that has the capabilities to be even with Erza, one of Fairy Tail's most powerful Mages. Honestly, though, it could be worse. Bacchus' drunken style has its perks on strength and flexibility, however, his conscience is also fuzzied from the alcohol screwing up with his common sense. If anything, if a drunken person were to get tired, they will give up no contest... at least that is my assumption. If not, Bacchus might be the type to get more excited when he's like... seriously drunk.

Elfman was very nervous, but still kept that Fairy Tail will to keep trying. At first, it was difficult of Elfman to even lay a finger on him. It was hard to watch, especially when things got interesting. They made a bet with each other. If Bacchus wins, he gets to spend a night with any girl he wanted that was in the guild. On the other hand, if Elfman wins, their guild will be named Quatro Puppy. Men... I swear are either distasteful or just utterly stupid. Getting more hyped up, Bacchus started getting more drunk, as if he wasn't already under the influence enough. This was quite scary because Bacchus is still quite an over-powering opponent for Elfman even while he was sober, and as the Drunken Falcon, he may only be more deadly if his alcohol intake rises.

Despite the intimidating turn of events, Elfman took it head on by challenging Bacchus even further. And with a quick confrontation, he turned into a lizard man with scales sharp enough to cut through Bacchus' quick-moving hands. It was an interesting strategy, but also effective. Elfman nearly won, which gives Fairy Tail A the winning points to move up on the scoreboard.

"See, Lector? Fairy Tail is strong."

"Pfft, not as strong as Sabertooth, Claire-kun," Lector crossed his arms and looked the other way.

"You can't say that if you haven't seen all of us fight," I retorted, but he did not respond. The next battle was followed by Fairy Tail again versus Blue Pegasus.. It was Mirajane Strauss and Jenny Realight, a cat fight. I never really heard of this Jenny girl other than her just posing as a model for magazines and photo shoots. To be honest, she doesn't seem like a strong opponent whereas Mirajane is a very powerful S-Class Mage. Asuma would always talk about battling either Erza or Mirajane because they were the S-Class Mages of Fairy Tail, and Laxus was excommunicated at the time. I have my faith in her, but...

It would be nicer if it was a punch-kick-Magic type of competition and not a... bloody nose fest. But whatever, just win, I suppose. In the final outfit, Mirajane busted out her demon Takeover, Sitri. I was always fascinated by her Magic because it was the closest connection I know toward my Devil Spirit Magic. Humans wanted the power that demons had, but could not obtain it through external ways such as like Celestrial Spirit Magic is with contracts. So a form of Take Over was created to copy the Magic that demons are capable, but not have to go through the risk of trying to make a contract with them. Devils and Demons are not any different, they were just different names. Lucifer always told me that the Devil Spirit World is not exactly Hell, more like a purgatory. Because Lucifer and the rest of my devils were only sins and could be forgiven, they resided in the purgatory. Sitri, for example, is the prince of Hell so he resides in Hell, but none of my devils have told me whether or not beings in Hell can go through purgatory and to Earthland. Honestly enough, Mirajane just may be another person that can communicate with devils without being killed.

Takeover, the Magic that allows you to turn into creatures you've encountered. Fairy Tail sure is fascinating...

Mirajane won, of course and Lector still believes that we do not have what it takes to surpass Sabertooth. But who knows?

The next and final battle of the day was Sabertooth and Mermaid Heel. Kagura Mikazuchi, the said strongest Mage in her guild, was called up to go against Yukino. Lector and Frosch cheered ferociously to support their teammate, which was really cute of then too. I shouted my good luck to Yukino as well in hopes that she does well. From the Elfman and Bacchus battle, it is not impossible to defeat an S-Class Mage if you're not one yourself, however, I do not know exactly what is her 'rank' in the guild. Sabertooth is super strict and protective of their reputation, so... I hope somehow, Yukino harbors a weakness for that Kagura chick. Yukino wanted to make a bet with Kagura like all the other battles had, but she was not really interested.

"Are you afraid of losing?" Yukino said with a soft-spoken, but taunting demeanor. This was completely different from our usual spars where she would be timid and afraid of attacking. I suppose that when you're in a big arena like this with thousands of people watching your every move, you can't show any sign of fear at all. "Let's bet on life."

"Yukino... what the hell...," I said under my breath while hearing gasps and awes from the crowd behind me. Looking across the stadium where the Sabertooth team was, they were smirking almost as if they are proud for Yukino to bet on something so high. How full of themselves can they get? Is Yukino that strong for them to put so much faith into a new member? Even Frosch and Lector were cheering their hearts out. I don't know... its difficult to say.

The match began with Yukino drawing her key to the twin fish, Pisces. This was the same thing that happen during our first spar, despite how massive the fish are when coming toward the opponent, their weakness is their size. It was very easy to just dodge their attack and run on their backs which is what Kagura is easily maneuvering, jumping across from each body. When Pisces was not enough to subdue her, Yukino opened the gate of the heavenly scales, Libra. At first, it seemed like an instant win because gravity is what controls our movement. Without that level, nothing can move and will be easily vunerable. I always had difficult with Libra, gravity is a bitch. However, it was shocking that Kagura was actually a gravity-type Mage. She easily countered the gravity effects, but Yukino was not phased.

"Are you forcing me to open the 13th gate?"

The hidden gate of the Zodiac, quite ferocious when you think of it. What reason does a spirit have to be in order to be considered a Zodiac, but be isolated from the big twelve. Yukino unleashed the giant snake-like spirit, but as soon as it was released, it was defeated simply by Kagura's quick slices from her sword named Archenemy. Yukino's confidence instantly shattered as Kagura suddenly appeared before her with her sword prepared for the final blow. But..

"YUKINO... MOVE!" Filled up with instinct, I just wanted to blurt something out to Yukino. She trained so hard that I didn't want to see her suddenly lose like this. It is extremely humiliating for someone with such a large sense of ego to be shot down. This would be especially embarassing for Sabertooth that I don't even want to know what they would do. She isn't a high-prized of a member like Sting is, so Gemma would probably give him another chance. Yukino, on the other hand, has no attachments other than her guild mark that could easily be erased.

Yukino snapped at the sound of my scream. Remembering what I taught her about mobility and reflexes, she avoided Kagura's slash matrix-style and flipped over behind her to get more distance away from her opponent. With Ophiuchus, the 13th gate, decapitated out of commission for the time being, Pisces and Libra were no match for Kagura. Libra's Magic would only be negated by Kagura and Pisces cannot match the speed of a petite and swift swords woman.

Lector and Frosch were right on their tippy-toes. Yukino resummoned Pisces, but differently. I didn't see two large fishes on the battlefield, I saw two humanoid spirits. Apparently, the true forms of Pisces, a mother and her son. They were far more swift, agile, and powerful in this form. It made things easier when you pit two opponents of the same size. However, Kagura was able to take on both of them. She easily dodged many of their attacks, but she knew the weakness of any Mage wth a summoning Magic. With quick jabs from her sheathed sword, Kagura immobilized the male spirit which distracted his mother spirit. Yukino was open again.

"N-No way!" Yukino, sweat dripping and tears fallings, cried in defeat in the match and her life.

"Sometimes, mermaids eat tigers," Kagura said. "You remember our deal right?"

"Yes...," Yukino cried even more. "My life is yours."

I didn't want to say anything. It wasn't a great day for Sabertooth as their pride started to dwindle through two defeats in one day. Losses were extremely hard on them from the aura I get from the two exceeds. Lector did not say bye to me or even turned back. He simply jumped off my head and walked toward his partner, Frosch hesitantly followed behind. It wasn't part of my business, but it was sad to watch this. With a guild purely functioning only because of authority, esteem, reputation, and title... it isn't how a happy guild runs. Fairy Tail loves competition and all, but they are all held together like a family. Every member of Sabertooth seems.. detached to one another in some way shape or form. But it isn't my choice what guild they choose to be in, I just hope they're still happy. Yukino was very excited to be in Sabertooth, I would hate to find out that her dreams are crushed. She did tell me she was only a reserve member, worst case scenario would just for her to step down from the competition.

If Fairy Tail goes all out partying when there were two losses, I can only imagine how Fairy Tail is like when there is a win.

I wanted to avoid the frenzy of a fairy party as much as I can. I had a few drinks here and there with some socializing in between, but I didn't want to work myself out that night. Mystogan is no where to be found so Mirajane told me that I would have to come in to be part of the team the next day if he doesn't show up. She encouraged me to also take part in the fun of the games, so she also wanted me to take part in the event portion of the day. I got really excited to finally show off some stuff, but Makarov still warns me forom time to time not to show off so much about my Black God Slayer Magic... or my Devil Spirit Magic. Both the Magic that I wield are way too rare that any sign of it can stir up some controversy if I reveal it in the middle of the week. I understood that I didn't want to risk the idea of Fairy Tail being disqualified, but the only thing I had left was Fairy Glitter. That night, I visited Team A since I think they were the only ones not partying at the moment. I entered the Honeycomb Lodge and in their room to only find Lucy, Wendy, Charle, Happy, Natsu, and... Yukino?

"Clarion-san..."

"What are you doing here?" I started getting serious. "This didn't seem like anything she would do. I saw her hand on her keys with the idea that she was giving them to Lucy. "What is going on?"

"I'm here to give Lucy-san the remaining keys. She harbors 10 of the keys and I am using my ability to transfer them over to her so she can have possession of all the gold keys."

Lucy repeatedly made it clear that she did not want the keys because she knew how much Yukino cared for her spirits as Lucy does with hers. She would never take them away from her. Yukino understood, but said that Lucy will have all the keys in time. This kind of behavior... it just doesn't seem right. I understand that Yukino was probably upset by her loss, but wanting to give up her keys? Her entire Magic is held into those things and she can't just give them up unless she had no need for them, but what could possibly make her not want to be a Celestial Spirit Mage anymore? She stood up and proceeded to let herself out.

"It'd be nice if we see each other again," and she left without letting anyone else say a word. I noticed Natsu harboring a guilty-looking face.

"Natsu?"

"She... isn't so bad. That Saber-girl."

"No, she isn't," I repeated him. "I know Sabertooth can get on anyone's nerves, but she's one of the nicer ones."

"I still can't believe you're with that guy."

"I still can't believe it myself."

Happy and Natsu went to chase after Yukino because of the prejudice that he conjured up. I went along after them, perhaps I would be able to find out why Yukino is acting so solemn. She wasn't too far up ahead and we quickly caught up with her. Natsu gave her a wide smile and apologized for his thoughts. Though, he only did it cause he thought he made her feel bad by her guild affiliation, but still. He kept up with his happy-go-lucky cheeriness, and I could only smile at the sight of this kindness. Yukino started to cry, overwhelmed by the emotions."

"I can't take it anymore," she sobbed and fell to her knees. I knelt down close to her to hold her shoulders and calm her down. "No one has ever treated me with this much kindness... Natsu-sama... Happy-sama... Cl.. Clarion-san..."

"H-Hey, don't cry," I told her.

"I... I always looked up to Sabertooth. Last year, I finally got in. But... now I'm not allowed to go back," she sobbed harder.

"Wait... what?"

"Just from that one loss, I was kicked out," my heart dropped. "I was forced to strip naked in front of a lot of people and erase my own guild stamp with my hand... it was so humiliating... so bitter... My self-respect and my memories of the guild were destroyed... and despite all of that, I don't have a place to return to!"

My heart felt like it literally fell out of its cavity. The emotions roaring inside of Natsu and I were the same. We both did not know how Sabertooth functioned, and they may be another guild... but that incident is unforgivable. To be humiliated like that, within your own guild, what kind of purpose does that call upon. Why does the extremes have to go so far to destroy the memories of another? Is that how it is? If a guild punished their own in that sort of way, what fucking right do they have of being called a guild at all. They are not a guild... no, they are all just a clump of retards following under a Master that does not give a shit about feelings. Being the most powerful... is that all that matters in this world?

"I'll handle it... Yuki-chan...," I whispered in her ear as I embraced her.

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><p>"What are you planning to do... Natsu," I said in such a serious manner that the questioned didn't even sound like a question. We were both being quite rash at this point, but we didn't give a fuck. There comes the risk of Fairy Tail being disqualified, but Natsu and I would risk our position in the games if it means giving a point to Sabertooth and defending Yukino. Natsu didn't give a definite answer, but we both stopped as we got close to Crocus Gardens, Sabertooth's respective lodging. Since the guild itself was not so large due to strength being an important factor in recruitment, the entire guild came to watch the Grand Magic Games.<p>

"Let's get them fired up...," Natsu told me. Utilizing his roar attack, Natsu created massive fireballs that rammed into the sides of the building.

"I didn't expect to debut like this... but that's alright with me," I smirked, balled my hands into fists, took a step back, took a deep breath, and braced myself. "Black God's... Osiris."

With the command, the small area around me became condense with Black Magic, the feeling of death was around me.

A stream of Black Magic swirled around me in a spiral shape. I concentrated intentively and prepared myself to strike part of the building. Manipulating the stream, I channeled it to impact Crocus Garden to pierce through the wall so Natsu and I have an entrance into the lodging. Natsu seemed more amazed than shocked at my Magic, but he also seemed cautious at the same time. Zeref' Magic tainted Natsu's white scarf to turn black which took Wendy awhile to revert. He did not seem very curious about my Magic at all and I'm not so sure if that was a good sign or not. Natsu jumped from the ledge we were on and came running into the smoke caused by the fire and debris. I followed after and I could tell that Natsu's anger began to boil. It takes a lot for me to get angry at something, and to be honest, I was more exhilarated than full of rage. This was also the guild of Sting's... and would something like this come between us? Natsu went on a complete... COMPLETE rampage in the Sabertooth lodging. Despite his reckless behavior, I couldn't think of a better way to get them worked up. I wanted to be part of the action, but I wouldn't want to destroy his fun.

"WHERE IS YOUR MASTER?!" Natsu screamed at the top of his lungs which drove members of Sabertooth out of their room and in shock at the destruction he was causing all over the place. Broken windows... walls... furniture... bones...

"Clarion?" Sting saw me standing right next to Natsu who was beating up some members. "Natsu-san? What the hell?!"

"Sorry," I gave him an awkward smile. "Fairy Tail has their ways."

"Ways?" Rogue repeated.

"Yuki-chan may not be a Fairy Tail Mage... but she is a kind, gentle girl. She's my friend and I can't stand back and see the guild she look up to treat her like nothing."

Emerging from the crowd came a familiar old face that even put the members of Sabertooth move away in fear. Gemma towered over everybody, but only his guild were the ones having their spines chilling and teeth chattering.

"Do you have some business with me, brat?" he roared and Natsu became fired up. Honestly, the faces on everyone was priceless.

"Yo, Gemma," I greeted..

"What is this nonsense, Clarion?" Gemma's voice was escalating and the aura around him became more dense with power. He stepped forward once, cracking the tile that was underneath his foot. "You are causing a ruckus here! Is this how you let your guild run wild?"

"What does it look like?" I talked back to him.

"Clarion... don't," Sting whispered to me from the other side of the room. I could see the sense of fear and worry on his face, but this wasn't the time to think about him. This is happening for Yukino's sake and he won't get in the way.

"Yuki-chan wasn't supported... no one came to her side," I took one step forward and stood my ground. "That isn't the way of a guild. To truly be called a guild, you need to support each other and come to each other's aid."

"Hmph..."

"She was kicked because of one loss...," Natsu's fire became increasingly hot. "If that's your guild's way, then if you lose then you're out of the guild."

My facial hasn't changed. It was just the same as Natsu's, the face of rage. Sweat dwindled down even the most powerful of members, such a rash statement can trickle down fear.

"Clarion-kun, that's suicide!" Lector yelled out.

"Fro feels the same way!" Both Frosh and Lector had the same sense of fear in their eyes.

"Are you serious, brat?" Gemma wasn't taking Natsu lightly. He didn't stray away from his serious face. His inverted eyes then turned to me.

"People who take their comrages for granted... unforgivable."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Aren't you two acting out of your own sense of justice?" Gemma replied back, leaving another sense of rage inside of us.

"Clarion... this has nothing to do with you two," Sting tried to end this.

"This has _everything_ to do with me," I talked back. "Whether you like it or not, when there is someone that has their voice taken away, ESPECIALLY if they are a friend, then I will do my role as that friend and voice it out for them. It makes me sick to see something like this. Yukino came to this guild because it gave her good memories to be a part of a guild she admired and felt close to! She felt like a member, and now she is told that she can no longer be a part of this. Do you have any idea how horrible that feels?! To be supported from the people you trust and then suddenly have that broken to bits?!"

"Dorbengal, be their opponent," Gemma called out as if he did not listen to a single word I just said. My temper was beginning to tip over the edge.

"Running away?" Natsu taunted.

"I'll take this one," I said holding up his hand. Knowing Dorbengal's speed, I quickly went straight for him. The two of us were going head on.

"I won't let you near, Master."

"And I...," he attempted to give me a jab, but I easily dodged it much to the surprise of Sabertooth. "Won't let you get in the way."

With a quick elbow to his face, he was flung across the room and into the other wall and just like that, went out of commission. Natsu and I are not to be taken so lightly. Dobengal may have good speed, but I am also fast. I do not want to be underestimated.

"Was Clarion-chan always this strong?!" some members awed in fear. Frankly, he was a chump. I didn't understand why everyone was so shocked. They should have known that I was not some pushover, it is almost insulting.

It was Natsu's turn with Gemma. Sting tried to interfere again, but he couldn't do anything about it at this point. Gemma managed to stray from harm, however, Natsu took the advantage spot and punched him straight into the face leaving Sabertooth to be shocked. He let out one of his most powerful attacks which sent most of the lodge into a wreck and blew a hole straight through the wall. But when the debris cleared, someone stepped in front. It was the famous young lady or so I have heard of from Sabertooth's gossip. We had a quick stare off for a moment, something about her, I didn't like. The look on her pretty little face was something that I just want to wipe out. Was my sin of wrath always this cruel?

"Does the festivities of the game also extend to this vicinity of celebration?"

"Minerva!?" Gemma was surprised at her interference. "Minerva, you... who told you to-"

"Well of course if this current state of affairs dragged on for the rest of the night, father would surely stand in triumph..," she said in a posh-like manner that just annoyed the hell out of me. "But also, there is such a thing as "maintaining appearances" for reputation... something that this young lady cannot seem to have-"

"The fuck was that?" I spoke up.

"Ah, ah, ah, a face that cannot hold the looks," she held her arms out close together and a rainbow like Magic surrounded it. "Let us end this in a mature manner to prevent that face of yours to stay permanent shall we? ... and if you do, I will return this precious kitten to you unharmed."

A crying, tied- up happy suddenly appeared in her arms. She cradled it closely, a little innocent look that was also a face of a bitch. Natsu and I, even if we did not want to stop trying to invade Sabertooth, had no choice but to step down for the sake of Happy. They apologized to each other and began walking out of the building. I still stood there for a moment, with the same face I had, full of anger.

"Before," I started to speak. "I didn't give a flying fuck about who was better. Guilds are guilds. But after tonight... that has all changed. You are not a guild, Sabertooth. Because of that... this guild will never surpass Fairy Tail... you will never be better than us. We won't lose."

The face of fear soon turn to a face of determination, I like that. I said what I had to say and I started walking away. It may have been insulting to them to hear me say such a thing, but whatever, I was mad.

But of course, if you start taking care of each other as a guild... then whoever is stronger won't matter to me. My pride of the guild is within the guild, not outside of it. Now, let the games between tiger and fairy begin...

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><p><strong>Phew, luckily I had the Sabertooth scene pre-written so I could quickly finish off this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Things are starting to get heated up, LOVE IT! Thank you for taking the time to readreview/favorite/follow! It is going to be a pretty busy week, so I hope I will still have time to work on this! Thank you again, I hope you enjoyed!**


	14. Chapter 14: Let It Out

**Omg thank you everyone, past and new, for reviewing/favoriting/following/emergerding! It means so much to get something like this in my email because it just gives me so much more motivation to keep writing! I appreciate all the time you have spent to read this fic and I do hope you continue enjoying it while the story took awhile to get intense! Please enjoy! Thank you!  
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><p>Finally, the next day arrived. Mystogan was still no where to be found, and it just so happens that a member of the Magic Council along with many other officers were going to be joining as part of the audience. Since he was technicaqlly, not technically a legal member of the guild for whatever reason, I suppose that is the reason why he just left out of the blue. And with the start of the game competition portion of the day, Mirajane still encouraged me to go out to debut... even though I kinda already did that onto the Crocus Garden... then again, there wasn't really anyone around and I'm sure Sabertooth was too distracted by the damage and Natsu to even notice. While waiting for the other teams to finish up their decision, someone placed their hand on my head.<p>

I looked up to see Laxus Dreyar, the grandson of Makarov. He kept a stern look on his face as if he was examining me.

"So, you're the descendant of the first?" he said as I just nodded my head. He patted my head and moved away to lean on the wall underneath the shade. "You must be good then."

It was quite awkward, I didn't know how to respond. Mirajane just giggled to herself and Juvia smiled. Finally, all the choices were made and were called into the center of the stadium. Erza chose herself to participate in this, Fairy Tail needs to beef it up I suppose. Orga was also chosen to participate in this. I greeted him, but he did not respond to me. I guess all of Sabertooth were pretty ticked at Fairy Tail, whatever. It wasn't like I killed anyone. The pumpkin guy began explaining the game, called Pandemonium. A massive structure appeared before us, and this was where we were going to get competitive. It was like a simple game of gambling. One at a time, someone enters the Pandemonium building and choose a number out of a hundred of monsters to fight with random levels of strength. Seems simple enough. Randomly, the participants drew straws to figure out the order of our turns. I got the last possible number which could be lucky for me because I could just one up on everyone else's monsters as long as the numbers can add up in my favor. Erza was placed first, which is nice as well because she is exceptionally stronger than the contestants here in my opinion.

"100...," I thought I heard that wrong. "All 100 will be my opponents."

Erza casually started walking into the structure while the Pumpkin dude tried to reject the number because it threw off the purpose of the game play, but she didn't care. Hah, I like that. While Fairy Tail cheered her on and laughed with her, the rest of the audience were in complete shock to have someone be confident enough to challenge all one hundred monsters, especially when one of monsters was ranked to be equal to a Magic Saint. Many people remain skeptical and didn't really think Erza could pull of such a task, but...

One by one, two by two, ten by ten... the monsters were depleting with ease. The D-Rank monsters were the first to go and soon enough, Erza was nailing it. It was beautiful. So see a fairy in so much wounds and still choose to fight beyond what was believed to possible. Before you know it, there were 0 monsters left and Erza defeated them all while still managing to stand up proud with her sword in her hand. Fairy Tail A jumped down to congratulate their teammate. I took a glance at Sabertooth, some of them were shocked and in disbelief that we really did have it in us. We were just a guild that kept talking and talking, we really do what we mean.

"FAIRY TAIL A'S ERZA SCARLET DOMINATES!" The MC cried as everyone the crowd started cheering for Fairy Tail and awing at the massive victory that she took. There were cries of cheering, but also tears of joy. It was really touching to see something as lowly as Fairy Tail has come to be and come back fighting will the hearts that disappeared long ago. The absence of all the loved members only made them stronger as the time kept adding up. This is what makes Fairy Tail beautiful as a guild altogether. The effort and hardship each member have to go through and yet they still come out strong in the end. Even the participants of Pandemonium were amazed by her strength...

"I don't like this," Orga commented to himself, but I heard him anyways.

"Well, that's Fairy Tail," I replied back to him and walked away toward Erza's side with the rest of Fairy Tail A and gave her my support and thankfulness.

Since Erza took all the monsters, the board decided to rank the rest of us through the MPF, or Magic Power Finder, machine that calculates the strength of a single Magic attack in a numerical value. This seemed fine to me considering that it was perfect to show off my stuff. But, I noticed someone was by my side poking at my arm.

"M-Mavis-dono?" I whispered, trying not to let the audience see me talk to nothing because only people with the Fairy Tail mark can see and talk to her. I tried gesturing to her asking why she was suddenly next to me.

"Don't do it," she said without looking up. "Don't use it, not yet. With the Magic Council showing a significant presence here, it is wise not to show off your Magic. Black Magic may be illegal and forbidden, however, there is much debate over the Black God Slaying Magic. Devil Spirit Magic is also rare, you are literally the only one that has the abilities to use it, Clarion. That may raise some questions on who you are associated with. It is still the middle-"

"Okay," I quietly said without having to hear more. She nodded and returned to her seat with the rest of Fairy Tail.

"A simple comparison of power, huh? That will probably leave me at a disadvantage here...," Hibiki Laytis of Blue Pegasus said as he was standing close to me. I didn't really bother to pay attention to him. But... he was being a bit too close. "By the way... Clarion-chan, are you free tonight?"

"The hell...," I turned to him with a scrunched of face. My arms were crossed and I could only be dumbfounded at this intent. "How do you even know my name?"

"There wouldn't be a girl out there that I would not know," he tried being smooth which wasn't really working on me at all. "So?"

"Not a chance."

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><p>"Look here, Sting," Rufus called out to him, tripped his hat over his eyes. "Looks like the Blue Pegasus man is trying to flirt with Clarion."<p>

"...," Sting did not respond much to Rufus' surprise. He would usually react to any guy getting close to Clarion, especially after hearing about his run-in with Bacchus at the bar the other day. He looked over to Rogue who only had his eyes closed, not paying attention to anything going around him. Then, looking over to the Fairy Lady, Minerva, she was shown with a small, sinister-like smile on her face. Rufus felt like the atmosphere was a little off, but shrugged it off.

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><p>When it was Hibiki's turn, he received a rather low score and began to tear up on his knees. He hugged around my waist and begged me to baby him, but I just punched him out of commission to get him off of me. Jura, a member of the Magic Saints, went next and he was right before me. He earned a whopping eight grand and wiped off the confidence from Orga's three thousand earlier.<p>

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><p>"A... Amazing!" Makarov was astounded by the number. "He may even be well enough to be a match a Master Mage!"<p>

"Well," Mavis giggled. "Don't forget that the one holding my blood is standing right over there."

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><p>Soon enough, It was my turn now, and the remaining Magic I could use was my only hope, but I put all my faith and trust in it. "Gather! O river of light that's guided by the fairies! Shine! In order to perish the fangs of evil! ... Fairy Glitter!"<p>

An incredible beam of light that right high above the skies completely obliterated the MPF machine to the point where the light was too blinding to look past it. I was swept off my feet and I had to land backwards while watching the magnificent ray of light. My heart was pounding very hard, I was nervous to see the number. But with a big blow like that, it was sure to beat Orga's 3k number. When the smoke cleared away, not only do I see a grand number higher than three, but higher than even Magic Saint Jura's amazing 8k. Fairy Glitter was so powerful that it broke the scale of the MPF machine and hit the make of 9999. A sigh of relief and pride took over as I absorbed in all the cheers and awes. This felt good. Even if I did not get to show off any of my own Magic, technically, it was nice to earn points for Fairy Tail to reach it even higher than what it started out with before. Now that just leaves off for the battle portion of the day.

After the game portion the scores were now:

**1. **36p** Raven Tail  
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**2. **26p** Sabertooth  
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**3. **24p** Lamia Scale**

**4. **22p** Mermaid Heel  
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**5. **22p** Fairy Tail A  
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**6. **20p** Fairy Tail B  
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**7. **18p** Blue Pegasus  
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**8. **14p** Quatro Puppy  
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It was great seeing Fairy Tail not at the bottom or with a wide gap as the first day was. We were getting quite close to Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale, but they were rather strong guilds that rank high in the battles and games which will bring up a challenge to surpass them.

Time felt like it was going by quickly considering that it was already the battle portion of the games beginning to start. The chosen participants of the first match was listed. The first match was Mermaid Heel and Quatro Puppy, the mermaid beat the puppy. Then it was Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus, tiger won.

Now, it was Laxus Dreyar of Fairy Tail B versus the mysterious clad Alexei of Raven Tail. It was a father and son guild pitted match which brought up the rowdiness of the crowd. I was quite worried because that Alexei guy looked like that he is the leader of the team would suggest that he is the most powerful member of Raven Tail. But Laxus is arguably the strongest member of Fairy Tail aside from Makarov considering that he has the blood from two powerful Mages that have the title of being Masters. The match began and Alexei looked like he was having the upper hand, being able to keep hitting Laxus over and over again. From the looks on the members of the guild, they looked surprised and shocked and almost frustrated.

"I thought he was stronger than this," I commented staring down at Laxus getting beaten up and hardly fighting back.

"He is," Mirajane said sternly. "Something doesn't seem right."

At first, it seemed like Laxus took back the battle, however, that quickly went away and the battle reverted back to Raven Tail having the favor. It does seem quite fishy. I glanced at the Raven Tail balcony and I swear that they haven't moved an inch, eventually I just started paying attention to them instead of the battle.

"Hey... look," I said as the rest of the members looked in my direction at the Raven Tail members. "Raven Tail... they're not... moving. They have been in that same position ever since this match started."

It was getting even more suspicious now and I'm sure that Makarov has already noticed the lack of motion.. blinking... and laughing. Then, we wear gasps and that diverted our attention onto the battle field. Suddenly, there were the members of Raven Tail beaten up along with Ivan, the Master. Turning my head back to the audience, they all vanished. Laxus defeated the entire team of Raven Tail and their Master using only his own hands. Now that's what Fairy Tail is like and the crowd agreed. They all cheered on and many of them were just stunned at the strength that Fairy Tail has suddenly came to after the core members returned. Raven Tail was disqualified from the games and was given a ban as penalty.

The match that was called up next was Fairy Tail's Sky Dragon Slayer, Wendy Marvell, going against Lamia Scale's Cheria Blendy. My intial impression of her was like a child and somewhat didn't take the games so seriously. But if she was chosen to be in the team I suppose she has some kind of strength on her that didn't show it off on the outside, almost like Wendy. As a Dragon Slayer, Wendy does have potential, put she could be quite a pacifist. Wendy looked like she was doing her best which looked like it was paying off, however, Cheria was revealed to be the Sky God Slayer which worried me quite a bit. Gods should be considered as a higher tier than with Dragons since they were creatures that have mortality and weaknesses whereas a God itself would have minimal weaknesses. In a God versus Dragon match, you would expect the God to win, however, is that all ways the case? Should Gods be degraded to the level like massive Dragons or should it be vice versa and Dragons are actually god-like themselves. But Wendy still went on, even went as far as showing off her special Dragon Secret Art, but her opponent only recovered herself with the power from the air around her. This was a challenging opponent for her, or for anyone that goes up against her for that matter. Cheria responded with her own secret art, but Wendy managed to get her to miss by raising up her strength. The fight continued on with repeated kicks and punches. They each kept their ground, ending the battle with a tie. So maybe dragons are like Gods.

* * *

><p>I haven't really talked with Sting since that incident, so I felt obligated to at least do something to apologize for the damage. Sting had a habit of leaving his window open which made it easy for me to sneak it without attracting any attention from Sabertooth. He was not in at the time, but I suppose I should just drop off what I got him. Dragon Slayers, at least with Natsu and Gajeel, like meat and have quite an appetite. I bought him dinner and I guess I should just leave it at his night stand. His room reeked as usual, even if it was just a temporary bedding. I decided to sit on his bed to wait for him, but I noticed his pillow was a little wet for some reason. I heard the lock on the door click, looked over to see Sting and Lector walk in and looking shocked as they saw me. Other with that look on their faces, they didn't react at all to see me. Was Sting still upset at me for tearing up the place? Was he upset that Fairy Tail was actually stronger than he thought? Did he plan on doing something else and didn't expect me to invade his privacy?<p>

"What are you doing here?"  
>"Why is your pillow wet?<p>

We spoke at the same time. I started first.

"I brought you some dinner. Thought I just... owe you for the other day."

"I see."

Sting was acting strangely. Something was on his mind bothering him, but a lot of things could be on his mind at this point. Some information leaked out about tomorrow's battle match being a tag battle and rumor had it that Sting and Rogue will face off with Natsu and Gajeel. The silence was now dead as my Magic would ever be and I was just awkwardly waiting for him to respond to my question now. I was getting impatient and just blurted out whatever to get him to snap out.

"Have you been cryin' because you realized that Fairy Tail is gonna be the winners of the Grand Magic Games?" I teased him.

"Just, get out of here," he said without looking at me in the eye. I wouldn't tell him this, but I had to admit to myself that did kind of hurt. Quite harsh of him to say if all he wanted to was keep me away from Sabertooth cause who knows what they will do to me if they see me. But he also had the tone of being offended. Was crying something that he was sensitive about? Well, men... I guess. But Sting was still be strange instead of being stupid, that wasn't someone I was use to. He's not smiling, and his smile was just something I could look at and feel like everything is okay. So, how can I leave him behind while he is frowning? And Lector too, the little cat that always had something to say and won't hesitate to say it. Did he not have anything to say this time? He is never quiet. "Get out the way you came in."

"I will," I responded with a serious look on my face, not letting anymore of this harshness get to me. "But can I-"

"No, just go," he had his back turned to me. The look on my face instantly shattered into a frown even though I said I would still hold my ground. I suppose that he was not ready to talk about whatever was bothering him. My head lowered, causing the bangs in my hair to cover my eyes in a shadow. I placed the slightly damped pillow from my lap back onto where it should be on his bed. I got up slowly, walked over to the window, and slightly opened it enough for me to go through.

"Good luck tomorrow," I said solemnly turning my head back to him only to still see his back facing me. As I made one step, I felt like I was just waiting for him to do something... just anything to stop me from jumping out of that window and back to my lodge. I hesitated to leave, I didn't want to go. I wanted him to say my name, or hold me, or just... I don't know. But as I jumped down from the second floor, there was still nothing. No contact, no touch, nothing. It is strange... how empty it feels. When one of us seem so absent, it like the other is too.

* * *

><p>Sitting at the edge of his bed, just staring at the take-out food that she bought for him. He did like eating the food she picked out for him, but it was more of like he didn't have an appetite for it, as if he did not deserve to eat it all. The cold, night breeze was circulating in the room which caused the smell of food to diffuse, but also cause it to cool down even quicker, but he did not mind. So many things were on his mind and he could not even begin to figure out where to start thinking of.<p>

"Sting-kun...," Lector had to break the silence that was devouring them up.

"I wanted to hold her, Lector," Sting blurted out. "I couldn't look at her. I had to keep my back toward her. If I looked at the back of her body facing me, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from embracing her."

"But Sting-kun wanted to."

"Right now, that's the only thing that I want," he slumped over with his elbows resting on his thights and his face buried in his trembling hands. He was preventing himself from crying again, but it did not work for long. The streams of salted water began to drip down his face, but Lector didn't notice. He was good at speaking normally even if he was tearing up. "I wish I could have held her, one last time. But then she would've known that something was up... and I can't tell her."

"It's okay, you had no choice."

"I did have a choice... but... just tonight, Lector," the White Dragon Slayer firmly said to his Exceed partner. "Tonight to let it out, let everything out. We have to do our best tomorrow to show the Lady. We can't show any slip-ups, any weakness, any kind of feelings. We'll show em. And when I fight Natsu-san, I will show everyone. I can defeat Natsu Dragneel because I am stronger than him. I defeated a dragon and I can defeat him. Just watch me."

* * *

><p>Waking up in the morning wasn't so great. I still felt tired as I woke up from the sun shining into the window. I had this cranky look on my face in which no one around me would dare saying something to me or commenting how I was. Last night was quite rough and I am still bothered by it. Are Sting and I still something? I'm sure he was just cranky or something, anything. If there was something more to it, he would tell me, wouldn't he? My head was going into a vertigo, so I held it tight while trying not to think so much to make it worse. I have to keep my faith and trust in Sting. Without that, there wouldn't be a chance for us to continue on. If there comes a time when I have a reason to break that bond, then so be it, but easier said than done. The next day, the fourth day, of the tournament of course started off with the game competition. I giant sphere of liquid, water perhaps, formed into the center of the arena. Luckily, we sent out Juvia to participate in this competition. She specializes in Water Magic so this should be a perfect fit for her. So if anyone that leaves the orb will be eliminated, and when two people remain, within five minutes, if someone from the final two leave, they will automatically go to last place. It was a tough rule, but that just made things more exciting. Lucy went in for Fairy Tail A, which would be good for her advantage since she was a water spirit. However, I also noticed a sudden height in the noise level and saw that Minerva from Sabertooth had also joined in.<p>

Right when the whole match began, Lucy instantly went in to summon Aquarius. A whirlpool of water formed within which gave everyone a bit of a handful, but Juvia managed to retaliate with her own Water Magic. Following up with that, Quatro Cerberus... or Puppy's participant was kicked out. Then, Juvia instantly decided to draw out whatever Magic she had to throw everyone out. However, she managed to eliminate three, but then she was suddenly pushed out as well, leaving her with 3rd place. It was strange, it happened so suddenly and out of the blue. Looking back into the naval battlefield, I noticed Minerva's hand that probably was how Juvia was eliminated. Waiting idly until your opponent is distracted, then go in for the elimination. Quite the snake, but that is just a strategy. This leaves only Lucy, that managed to keep within the walls of the water, and Minerva to face off in the final minutes.

Lucy had the eyes of a winner, but Minerva played dirty and stole her keys. She then began to continuously conjure up these balls of miniature explosions on Lucy's body. She was completely helpless at this point, but she kept trying to stay in the water. But, if Minerva had the ability to just shove Lucy out of the water whenever she pleases. She's toying with her, and this was hard to watch. Lucy was trying so hard even when she was practically destroying herself. As soon as Lucy vowed to win, Minerva went rampant. Instead of little booms, she engulfed Lucy and it was over. Lucy slowly drifted and was about to fall, but she disappeared and suddenly reappeared in front of Minerva and took a heavy blow. What the hell is this... over and over again, Minerva abused her power to torture her. My body was shaking beyond what would be considered as just fidgeting. Minerva... I knew there was something about her that I instantly can't stand. Her sadistic-like torturing was completely unnecessary and beyond reason. For the purpose of proving the point that you think that Sabertooth is number one? Bullshit. Even if she was ticked off, no one should go through great lengths just for a one-sided payback. I was gripping the edge of the rail to the point where it cracked. The look on my face was something that I never showed off. My temper tipped over. But... I somewhat felt guilty as well, however. If I hadn't provoked her at that incident, maybe this wouldn't have happened. This shouldn't happened to someone else at least. I should've been in Lucy's place.

"YO, BITCH!" I yelled at the top of my lungs with the rest of Fairy Tail and Sabertooth taking notice at my outburst. Minerva held Lucy's body up high, almost as if she is prideful of such a beating. I can't bare to see Lucy's body in that state... the lifelessness just makes her look like a hopeless corpse. She's so willing to take the hits just for the pride of Fairy Tail... and that bitch had no right to touch her anymore.

"Oh? Looks like that ugly face of yours turned permanent," she had the uncanny ability to stir up my rage by just the look of her face. "Don't like what I'm doing to your precious guild mate? She's just a weakling. Trash. A-"

A completely tore off a portion of the railing.

"SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP," I interrupted her, much to her dislike. At least it was a way to stop deteriorating Lucy's health. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT FAIR LADY BULLSHIT?! WHO'S THE ONE THAT SAID THAT SHE WANTED EVERYONE TO ACT IN AN ACCORDING MANNER?! IS THIS THE FUCKING MATURE FASHION YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER?! YOU SADISTIC LITTLE HYPOCRITE!"

I pulled out the middle finger. I turned my eyes away from the pain that Lucy chose to endure, to see the snobbish faces of the Sabertooth team. They noticed me, but made no effort to change their expression. That threw me over the edge. Especially seeing Sting... he still had that smirk on his face... not the usual ones that he gave to me. That hurt. It really hurt. I noticed that Minerva decided to drop Lucy at the same time, Sting began to laugh. Fairy Tail A ran to her and managed to catch her before hitting the ground. Juvia and Chelia came to aid as well. Just as something was about to happen, Erza stopped all of us with her arm up. Sabertooth came down as well to protect Minerva. All you feel right now was anger, all you can hear right now was the repeated chant of fight, fight, fight.

"You are no different, Sting," I said in the coldest manner I've ever spoken. It was rare of me to say Sting's name without the usual stupid in front of it. "One day, when you are beaten to the core, Sabertooth won't be there to help you."

"Don't you look down on Saber-"

"Shut the fuck up. Sabertooth is just a guild that cares for nothing but title. Sabertooth is just a guild that relies on the weak."

"Why would Sabertooth ever rely on some trash?!"

I wanted to pounce buy Gray and Natsu held me back.

"BECAUSE IF THERE ISN'T ANYBODY THAT YOU DEEM AS TRASH, SABERTOOTH IS NOTHING. SABERTOOTH CANNOT BE THE NUMBER 1 IF THERE ISN'T ANYBODY THAT IS NUMBER 2. YOU RELY ON THOSE PEOPLE FOR YOUR DAMN FUCKING EGO. SO GIVE THEM MORE RESPECT," I panted from the amount of yelling I was doing. I calmed down and I was released. "You've made the biggest mistake to anger me and Fairy Tail."

I had enough of Sting's face. I could feel the presence of death in the air, and if I were to let more of it out, dire consequences would be in store for me. I walked away from the scene. I had to be alone. I had to let everything out somewhere, somehow. All off this commotion and drama was too much for me. To see Sting smile and laugh at my anger and pain is just enough. I don't need to go through with this. I don't know the hell happened that made him this way, but I was losing my hope and trust in him. I missed most of the battle portion because I just spend my time wandering around. The town was really desolated from the games. I felt alone again. The darkness inside of me wanted to be free and wreak havoc. Was this the person I am? Someone that could just do the nonsense just because they're mad? No, I can't be. The person I want to be is to be the one to protect. With this Magic, it is hard for me to when all it does is cause death. I ended up in a park with many trees. I picked one, and I just had to let it out. With a touch, the tree began wilting, decaying, and dying. But right as it was about to be completely lifeless, I took my hand off at the horror. What am I doing? Taking away life to ease my emotions? I can't make a habit of this. I had to breathe. I can't control myself right now. I fell to my knees and tried calming down. I looked at my Fairy Tail mark and sighed. Remember, I have a family... I have Fairy Tail to be there for. I can't protect anyone if I am being like this. Slowly, I got up and began walking back to the games. Let it out, then let it go.

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><p><strong>Thank you so so much for reading! I had this chapter done rather quickly because part of this was pre-written! But I can't guarantee the next chapter will come out as swiftly as this, but I hope you will continue to be patient! I also hope that you guys realize that (most of time) whenever my OC is absent in a scene, that the point of view automatically changes. It is an eye sore to always see like (POV changes), at least to me. So I hope there isn't any confusion! Thank you again for all the favoritesfollows/reviews/messages!  
><strong>


	15. Chapter 15: The Reaper

**Ahah, thank you for waiting! It has such been a nice thing to see so many of you review/favorite/follow/and what not! It really makes my day to see them! I hope I did not take too long thing time... I had a little bit of a writer's block, but I hope that didn't delay for too long! I hope you enjoy the next chapter, thanks again!  
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><p>I could only stand still in front of the large entrance of the stadium. I could hear the cries, the cheers, the gasps... and I could only wish that I could be part of that audience. But it is quite a conflicting matter. To support my guild, or to support another. There is nothing wrong with doing both, but I didn't know if I could look at Sting again, at least not again so soon. Debating with myself, I hated doing this. If I were to go back in there, would I still be the same? Just a few days ago, him and I... were so close and I wished I could've been closer. Wishing... that is something that I always say... what would I tell myself in the future?<p>

I wish I could've supported the people I love...

Alright then, that was easier than I thought. I was still nervous, but at like I know that I would probably regret this in the future if I wasn't there to at least witness them fight. But my legs could not move. No matter how hard I try, I was still fighting within myself. I was so angry at him. Why is he behaving like this? He told me that he did not care what guild I was in... so why act like the king of Fiore?

"Are you alright?"

"I...," I blinked and saw Mavis-dono in front of me. "I... don't know."

"Come, Clarion-chan, you're missing the battle."

"But-"

"You're missing the exciting part," Mavis did not let me explain myself and continued walking back into the stadium. I let out a large sigh and took a deep breath. Gripping my fists and closing my eyes, I followed her after. Exciting part? I won't lie and say that the commotion just now wouldn't get anyone pumped up for an official battle between Sabertooth and Fairy Tail, but am I really the only one that feels this bitter? I am the closest to them arguable, however, maybe I am just taking it too much at heart... but still, I have the right to be angry, but I also have the right to support Fairy Tail.

While entering the stadium again, Mavis filled me in that Fairy Tail A and B had combined so that the number of teams were to be even after the disqualification of Raven Tail. Fair enough, but I didn't like how they took the lowest score between the two, at least even it out for crying out loud. But at least, our team was actually a magnificent team of everyone that was powerful from both sides. But I was quite taken back that I was still a reserve member. But they understood about my feelings toward Sabertooth and wanted to make sure that I was still part of the team to ensure I get the right closure sort of thing.

The battlefield... wasn't there when I came in. It appears that Sting was the one that actually collapsed the floor using Dragon Force. He was really strong and so was Rogue. The battle looked quite even, but Natsu and Gajeel had it in their hands to the point where... Natsu kicked Gajeel out of the battle in order to fight Sting and Rogue by himself. Quite over-confident of him to do if you ask me, but I'll trust my guildie with his choice of action.

Sting was trying so hard. He worked so hard for this moment that it felt heart-breaking to see him keep fighting against Natsu. He was getting so frustrated that he had to yell out again that he killed Weisslogia with the power he has. Again with showing off that he killed a dragon, does that really mean that much to him? I've heard from Lector before that no one really believed that he did, but Lector was the only one by his side and had faith in him. Sting probably wants to defeat Natsu to actually prove to Lector, prove to himself, that he is a strong Dragon Slayer. But this isn't the way to satisfy him... because he cannot even lay finger on Natsu at this point. He was overpowering them which kept breaking his ego and pride over and over until... he just couldn't get up again.

Fairy Tail was the winning, gaining the one point lead. The crowd was going crazy and I couldn't help but look into the direction of Fro and Lector, he was crying. I got up from my seat and walked toward them.

"C-Clarion!" Fro greeted with his arms waving up at me. I lifted him up to my shoulder and stared at Lector still crying and refusing to look at me. I sighed and lifted him up in my arms anyways and jumped down to the arena. Natsu noticed me and I stopped next to him.

"Let's fight again one day," Natsu said to the two who were still laying down on their face to hide their sorrow from losing.

"Sting...," I softly said. I still wasn't really use to saying his name out loud to him like that, but the moment needed it. "Lector wants to say something to you."

"Sti...," Lector could hardly speak through the sobs. I bent my knees and let go of Lector who slowly walked toward his beloved partner. He was shaking uncontrollably and the tears only kept falling more and more. "STING-KUN IS THE BEST!"

"Fro thinks Rogue is the best!" the little froggy Exceed repeated and went close to his beloved partner. The two were filled with so much emotion right now, but it makes me happy to see this kind of scene. They both realize that it is not about winning that makes someone strong. Their fighting was amazing and it may be ashamed that they had to lose in such a way with an over-confidence, but it is about time that they learn a thing or two about true strength. Sting only wanted to battle Natsu to prove his strength as a Dragon Slayer, but seeing him just fight with all his might proved that enough for Lector and everyone. I went over next to Sting and petted his head, he was still out of it, but I could feel that he was struggling to keep his emotions in. I suddenly heard a loud noise of footsteps coming from one side of the arena. I looked over to see that many people had made a break for it after realizing that Gemma was not in the mood...

It seemed like we made eye contact but at the same time, it seemed like it wasn't. You can't tell a damn thing what Gemma is looking at half the time.

* * *

><p>I know I shouldn't be snooping around, this isn't my problem at all. But, it still doesn't stop me from caring at least. If Gemma could do the despicable things to a lowly member, what would he do to Sting and Rogue? He forgave Sting the first time around when he got in last place of that Chariot game, but still. They hold most of the pride of Sabertooth and their loss was obviously a huge blow to their reputation. Natsu, absent for 7 years, managed to defeat them together without the aid of Gajeel. The ego was really their flaw in this and I am just hoping that this shatter to their pride has made them learn a sense of humility. I managed to enter the lodging without being detected and motion my body around structures to be in the gala-like room where all members of Sabertooth were gathered behind Sting and Rogue. This probably how Yukino looked like after she lost to Kagura, but at least these two had each other and their exceeds to give them support. They were pretty beaten up and Gemma only stood there in the same expression.<p>

"How could you?" he asked nonchalantly, but made it seem like Sting and Rogue intended for this to happen. They had no words to describe the defeat other than to say that Natsu was stronger than they thought.

He raised his voice. He became harsh. His power was being unleashed onto them that made them fall off their feet. He was giving them a piece of their mind, even to the point of throwing punches. I was going to jump in, but then... Lector. He spoke up, not in a rude way, for his beloved partner, Sting. In his most sincerest and kindest tone, he voiced how much he was proud of Sting. Despite his loss, he still thinks that he is the strongest Mage in the world. At first, Gemma did not react, almost as if he was moved, but that wasn't the case.

He was dumbfounded that an Exceed had a Sabertooth crest. This completely shocked me. I was the one that told him to keep track of his guild members to prevent any shocking controversies that would arise from it. Gemma did only care about strength. He does not look at anyone else. In a fit of rage and annoyance, he held his hand out in front of Lector and yelled at him to vanish. And I couldn't stand still anymore. Whatever he had in mind, I didn't want it happening to Lector. Nothing beneficial would be in his mind. I went for it.

"Lector!" Sting yelled.

Jumping in between with my back turned to Gemma and my arms holding Lector close, I felt the impact. Gemma planned on incinerating Lector right here, right now and I couldn't allow that. The heat of the Magic was intense, I felt my skin burn and the excruciating pain was all over my body. I couldn't have my eyes open, but I felt something weird. Why... Why did my embrace seem to get smaller and smaller? Why does it feel like I am hugging myself?

Very softly, I hear Lector's last words..., "Sting-kun... Claire-k..."

The beam was gone and I felt my body fall, but as usual, I didn't land on something hard. It was Sting's arms again. It was always him catching me. I could barely open my eyes and my entire body was limb. His tears fell on my skin, and they felt warm... warmer than how much my wounds felt inflamed. He screamed out his lungs for Lector and I. He gently held me closer with one hand. Sting was screaming... so very loud.

"You're noisy, Sting," Gemma heartlessly commented. "And Clarion... pfft, how pathetic."

"How could you... How could you...," he remained in a crouched position and kept me close.

"Shut up!" he wanted to silence him. "It was just a cat! And you were ordered to cut ties with that trash!"

And I hear the noise of piercing flesh, splattering blood, gasping people... and a crying Sting. The tears trickled down my back and seeped into the wounds. It stung at first... but then it felt... good, relaxing... I worked up the strength to light a arm and hold onto Sting's back to let him know I'm okay. He gently held my hand and looked me. I managed to open one eye and I realize that I started to tear up.

"I'm sorry," with a head on, direct attack like this, I was completely exhausted and drained that I lost consciousness.

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><p>I felt terrified the moment I woke up, I was in the infirmary with a few members close by and Wendy healing me up. I felt much better. Despite how powerful that blast seemed to be, I think it was only made to be strong enough to incinerate a cat... and not a human... the thought of that scene replayed in my head over and over. Why didn't I just attack Gemma instead? Doing that would probably be able to do enough to divert the attack else where and maybe Lector would be saved and Sting wouldn't have to feel lonely as ever before. He was everything to Sting, he was more important that anything to Sting, and I couldn't save that. I couldn't save someone I really care about. Life... is that something I am not worth saving?<p>

"Thanks for your help, Cheria!" Wendy thanked her friend for the assistance. Cheria didn't mind helping out a friend's guild mate after an incident occurred right before the biggest event of the week. She gave Wendy a bright smile and left. The room was nearly filled with every core member of Fairy Tail. But I couldn't bear look at anyone. "Clarion-san... are you feeling better?"

"Yeah thanks...," I said in a weak voice. I got up from the bed, but my head was still lowered as I was looking down rather at Wendy. "I didn't make you guys worry, right? The injuries didn't seem bad..."

"No, they were not," Makarov stepped forward with a serious look on his face and his arms crossed. Right beside him was Mavis-dono herself with a solemn look on her face. "They were only external burns. More importantly, however, how did it come down to this? Was it Sabertooth?"

"... I don't want to talk about it...," my head still feeling heavy and my eyes almost feeling like they were going to pour.

"Well whatever it is, you will be able to deal with it on the battle royale," Makarov said which confused me for a moment. "Situations emerged that will make us one man short of a full team. Since you were the reserve member..."

"I'll do it," I didn't hesitate to agree. This was the chance to settle the score. It felt like an honor to be in the last team and to finally show my stuff. Maybe with a few more hours of sleeping, I'll be good in no time. There was something odd about that moment... again flashing before my eyes... Lector's body... that blast didn't feel powerful enough to incinerate something like that so quickly, even if it was a small Exceed body. If my wounds were only exterior with burns that were easily healed up within a day, then Lector shouldn't have disappeared like that... my body should've been some shield to him too. Then I remember... their "Lady" was within the crowd. She has the ability to teleport bodies... like that time when she magically made Happy appear in her arms... she has to be behind this... maybe to use Lector as bait or hostage.

"Lucy has been taken, so Natsu will be going to join the rescue team," Makarov filled me in. "May I also add in that they have also captured your friend Yukino."

"Natsu will save them," I said confidently and in full trust of Natsu's strength. With everything that has happened so far, Natsu has the strongest will out of anyone that I have known. He especially has a soft spot for Yukino ever since her excommunication from Sabertooth and will protect her. Makarov was almost surprised at my behavior but came to realize how dead serious I was at this moment.

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><p>In the dead of night, Mavis-dono had called everyone in the team: Erza, Laxus, Gray, Gajeel, and I to a secret meeting regarding strategy for the final battle of the games. She explained to us her incredible memorization of everyone's Magic and their common habits to which she stimulated battles through her mind and came up with an elaborate plan designed to predict the movement and outcomes of everyone. We were all pretty awed by how much she worked to come up with something as intricate as this.<p>

Mavis-dono focused on everyone battling opponents up to our level or those that we have strong emotions toward. Initially, Mavis-dono set up a scenario for Erza to battle Minerva, but she was mine. At first, Mavis-dono was skeptical on that idea because of our differences, especially in experience. However, she did agree on the fact that passion could make those differences null. So, at the start of the battle, we were all ordered to stand still close by to one other without moving an inch. That way, most of the competition would be eliminated and the stronger members would be worn down. Points would be sacrificed, but keeping members conscious to battle would be worth the loss.

And soon, the real deal was about to begin.

You could hear the crowd question the behavior of Fairy Tail with petty chatter. The guild itself was in shock and almost in frustration, but Mavis-dono had advised them that this was our strategy. It made me feel uneasy to see Sabertooth regain its 1st place position while Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel were right under us. But soon enough, we had to start moving again.

If Mavis-dono's predictions are correct, then Cheria would be the one to attack me...

I suddenly see a hand appear before my face and everything went blank. And then suddenly everything reappeared and I was in a different location appearing between the crossfire of swords. _Shit,_ I managed to twist my body around and avoid being shredded, but I had a few cuts. I see Erza and Kagura exchange slash after slash... this wasn't suppose to happen, the strategy has been shattered leaving the rest of us to try to adjust.

"Clarion?!" Erza noticed, however, the distraction slightly made her balance off leaving Kagura to have an opening. I didn't have a weapon or anything to help shield her, so I moved her out of the way. It was then that the Minerva bitch has finally shown up.

"Can I join?" she had a smug look on her face and the MC can be heard shouting at a 4-way battle like this. A battle between women, who will survive? The thing with this though, Erza and I are on the same team. With Minerva being able to teleport and move around whatever she wishes, it may end bad for the both of us, so we had to somehow separate. Minerva seemed quite confident about her abilities and wanted Erza and Kagura to battle first because they obviously have some sort of business to take care of with each other. However, she did not seem interested in me which aggravated me.

"Where do you think you're going?" I clenched my fists together and continue watching Minerva's back on me. "Afraid to see how I can fight?"

"Pfft, please," she scoffed at me. "You wouldn't even be much of a challenge."

With that being said she just disappeared out of my sight, no matter, we have to battle one way or another. I looked back to see rubble on the floor, Erza, and Kagura battling. I ran off because I knew Erza would be able to handle this, I would not want to intervene with whatever was going on between them. The next agenda was just to find another battle I can manage. There was always Sting to find... but he was no where to be seen that the lacrima cameras couldn't even pinpoint his location. It was quite bothersome that I couldn't even find someone to at least hit. It almost felt like I was running forever. But then I felt a familiar presence... I followed a string of random alleyways that were quite narrow. Perhaps that is way lacrima cams can't get over here. Around the corner I see Sting sitting quietly, patiently, looking at the ground.

"I found you," I said to a silent White Dragon Slayer. He didn't say a word to me and I figured he wasn't looking for a fight anyways.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I have to win this."

"... By all means you can try, but if it has to come down to it... I have to give it my all if we were to be opponents. You can understand that, right?"

"No, you don't understand!" he suddenly raised his voice as he got up and held me by the shoulders. He looked angry, but also sad at the same time. His grip was tight, but it didn't hurt. I couldn't look away from his eyes, they were full of pain. "I have to do this for Lector! I can't lose again!"

"In any case, I'll get Lector back," I told him. "I'll defeat her and I'll get him back."

"You... can't," he said looking down but keeping his grip on me. "She's too powerful... she's stronger than Rogue and I... she's the Master's daughter for crying out loud! I don't want you to get hurt again! I don't want to lose you!"

"Then trust me stupid!" I yelled back at him and rest my head above his. He seemed to be losing it and I embraced him with his chin on my shoulder. I held him close and I could feel how much he's shaking. Lector is probably being used as a hostage, but I'll swear to myself that I won't let her do anything about it. "Trust me..."

"I'm sorry."

"Quit apologizing."

"For my behavior in the past... there was no excuse for the way I acted. I was forced to choose between Sabertooth and you... well there wasn't much of a choice. I had to cut feelings from you in order to keep the Lady happy and from having her to do anything to Lector... but the only way to do that was to have you be driven away from me because I always find myself coming back, so please... let me get Lector back, he's my friend and he's all I have."

"You have me, don't you?" I giggled a little bit. "We will get him back, he's my friend too."

"The Lady can't be that negotiable with you..."

"I'll make her."

I let go of my embrace and said that I'll see him later. I ran off and Sting returned to his previous position, just waiting in a remote location of the city for the right time to get out. In my theory, he is probably waiting for the competition to tire themselves out after defeating their opponents, which would probably mean that he would have to face some Fairy Tail member with his strength in tact. I would want to hope that Sting doesn't try to go that route, but in the end who knows. If he is forced to play dirty in order to get his friend back, then I am forced to defeat her first. I heard over the MC that Minerva had taken the point for defeating Kagura which shocked me to wonder where did Erza come into this. This shouldn't be like a game, you can't just go ahead and kill steal. But that's just how dirty she plays, she lets everyone be on the brink of fighting and she just pushes them over. That is probably the strategy she told Sting to do. Shit.

"Black God's Osiris," a snake-like manipulation of Black Magic formed. I had to use this in order to travel around more quickly. Using this allows me to ride the Black Magic as if it was a flying dragon or something. But revealing myself out there had also gotten the attention of the crowd.

"What is this? Clarion of Fairy Tail had finally came out of the dark to reveal her Magic! Last time she participated, she used a legendary Fairy Glitter Magic.. but now!"

"Black... Magic?"

"Isn't that illegal?"

"How could she learn something like that?!"

I hovered over the area where Erza and Kagura were last and followed the rubble to a stone-like area where she was bleeding in front of Minerva. I jumped down in between Erza and the bitch. She was surprised to see me come back, but it was about time I had to lay a finger on her. I could tell she couldn't stand from her foot being almost mutilated completely. I took out Lucifer's lock and summoned him to which he always complained that it has been awhile.

"Locks...?"

"Just like Celestial Spirit Magic!"

"He's not a spirit, he's a devil?!"

"Erza, this is Lucifer... he's a devil that will take care of you. Go find Gray... I think he's in trouble."

"But what about you, Clarion-chan?" Lucifer asked as he carried Erza bridal style and prepared to move. "Call the other sins if you need assistance, please."

I didn't respond back and Lucifer knew that he had to go. He levitated away and I knew I can trust him to take care of Erza. Minerva was surprised that I can use the Magics that I know and wonder if I knew them well enough to be able to defeat her. She kept taunting me and I kept my stance. Her face was getting me angrier and angrier. She claimed that she could already tell who would win a battle between the both of us.

"You think you can scare me?" she taunted as the debris of stone levitated around me and I can tell that they were going to explode. She soon took out the rocks that were above them and made them into objects of combustion as well. She also showed off that in her hands were my ring of locks. She dangled them all around as if they were nothing. The cling and clang sound from the locks hitting against each other got me agitated. She is pulling the same trick with Lucy by thinking she can leave me defenseless by taking away my summoning mechanisms. Everywhere was dust and tiny pebbles. "Whatever you can see, I can change... my spacial Magic is the ultimate Magic for territory for the ultimate guild-"

"Black God's Pluto!" a Magic that looks similar to Zeref's death wave. Instead of using it offensively, I prefer to concentrate it around my body to negate and protect myself from Magic and objects that are hurled at me.

"What?!" Minerva was surprised to see me emerge from the debris in front of her.

"Black God's Bellow!" Like any familiar God Slayer, the bellow is the common attack. A cyclone of Black Magic emerged out from my mouth and right in front of Minerva that had nothing but her hands to block herself. Magic isn't necessarily terrain which means she cannot change its properties. She was surrounded with the Magic that left her feeling more weak with few visual burns. I tend to hold back more than I should because I don't know my own strength, especially after since the Second Origin had released more power into me.

"Bitch!" she quickly made me appear right next to her for her to leave an excruciatingly painful jab to my abdomen that had me feel like yacking. And while I was distracted from the feeling, she blew another roundhouse kick on my face which had me spat out blood, but I quickly acted to give a kick back to her as my body moved the other way. I managed to keep my footing to prevent me from falling over and giving her another opening and I returned it with a punched, but she moved me out of the way to punch a wall that was right behind her. The impact left blood dripping down from my fist. I was getting frustrated with her. "IH RAGDO!"

The attack left me trapped in her wave-like matter and she manipulated to have whatever that is entrapped in it to burn through miniature explosions after explosions. It left me with multiple wounds because she began getting more violent and violent. I had to end it soon before she ends me.

"God Slayer Secret Art: Reaper...," I enchanted. Made out of Black Magic was a rather large scythe that appeared in my hands as I swiftly sliced through the surrounding space that Minerva was manipulating. It is a rather special technique that allows me to endorse the power of a grim reaper. In a world of Magic, you must be able to eliminate Magic in order to eliminate the being and to their demise or their forgiveness.

"She cut through her Magic?!"

"No... the space?!"

The guild kept chattering and chattering with Mavis-dono laughing to see how much I have accomplished within a short amount of time. In that amount of time, I probably have gone through so much emotion, so much pain, so much confusion. Even if I don't want to accept the destiny that I have been assigned with, I can only accept that I am still alive on this Earthland and I can choose what I can do with what is given to me. With the scythe in my hands, I do feel like I am prepared to take away someone's life away from this world. But no... I would feel that, but now... I only feel like I can do whatever I want with this in my hands. What I want to do is destroy this ego of hers.

"I-Impossible... how can you have such a Magic like this?!"

"You have hurt the guild in many ways... you have hurt your own guild... you hurt the people I love...," I slowly walked towards her as she began to cower in fear and shame. She was shivering and I can see the fear in her eyes as I stepped closer and closer to her. She shouted at me to stop, but as if I'd listen to her. "I can finally show you how much a fairy can be as ruthless as a tiger."

I was about to give her a slash, but I stopped right before the blade touched her body. I remember what happens when I slice through a body with this scythe... it will cause an instant tear between spirit and body that can't be undone. This thing kills... it will disintegrate anything out of existence and it can let me see them as a spirit. I have to be careful with this. She was starting to tear up, but also saw that I was holding back and being hesitant.

"IH RALGAS!" she screamed almost in fear and I see her hands covered in her rainbow-colored Magic. Before I can allow her to cast whatever her weird-ass sounding spells, I slashed her with my scythe along with a combination but not allowing it to piece through her body for that instant-death effect. She fell over on the floor with bruises, cuts, and burns... Black Magic can do wonders. She tearfully could not fight anymore and I defeated Sabertooth's leader giving the team five more points and back to the top rank.

I walked up to her body, still crying, and picked up my ring of locks that was right next to her. They were slightly damaged and scratched.

"When a guild does their best... that is when they are being the best they can be," were the final words I said to her as I slowly walked away. As I left the stone, temple-like structure, I collapsed over on my knees. I was panting really hard as my head began to throb. This was the after effect of trying to play as death. My body immediately felt weaker and weaker and I was just struggling to move. I coughed some blood out and I saw a bright light in the form of the Sabertooth symbol. It was Sting and he was finally ready to come out.

"Stupid Sting...," I said as I struggled to stand up. Crap, I couldn't move... "Unlock... Asmodeus."

Asmo appeared before me and realized that I was in desperate need to move. He knew that I didn't like being carried bridal style by him cause he is a perverted fuck, so he gently grabbed my arm and put it over his shoulders. He was strong enough to slightly have my body elevate off the floor so I did not have much pressure on my legs that have given out. He congratulated me on my win, but felt sad that he couldn't do anything to help... or that he couldn't see Minerva's body.

"So... you and that Dragon Slayer?"

"Huh?"

"You two, you're in love with each other aren't you?"

I blushed when he opened asked me that. I kind of didn't want to answer and I couldn't help but look away from him. I just mumbled like a baby to try and avoid answering the question. Is this how love is? I don't really know myself, but I do know that I really care for him.

"I can see it, Claire-chan, you really want to spend the rest of your life with him."

"I... I..."

_"All sins have been committed..."_

* * *

><p>We all have arrived in a middle of a park to see Sting in perfect condition and smiling as if he was waiting for this moment to happen. I unlocked Asmo and Lucifer because this was something between Fairy Tail and him. He still wanted to show Lector his strength by defeating Fairy Tail this time after he failed to defeat Natsu even with Rogue being his partner. But in this circumstance, Sting had the perfect chance to take out all of us within one attack because of how much we were wounded anyways. He had the advantage.<p>

"It's over..," I was barely able to stand on my own.

"No, I have to show my power."

"Hmph, if that's what you want...," Laxus agreed.

"We'll be your opponents Sting," Erza said.

We all stood proud side-by-side as a team and a guild. Sting was prepared to give us all the final blow and we were prepared to challenge that. He wanted to do this for Lector, to prove to Lector, to be strong for Lector. Ever since he was a child, he had no one believe in him until Lector came along and wanted to be by his side because he had that faith in Lector. His little exceed was not only his disciple, but also his friend that he could never let go. But now that he has disappeared, he has become stronger because of him and he wanted to show that off that he is a strong person especially when it came from the support of his friend. As Sting took steps closer to us... I saw him shaking a little and sweating from the climax of this moment. I began to step closer to him. He was dropped to his knees and I quickly held him to prevent him from falling over from the anxiety.

"I can't win... I surrender," my eyes widened at what he said. You can hear the ear-raping sounds of the crowding going wild at Fairy Tail's victory. Sting was beginning to tear up at the thought that he could not get Lector back. He believes that Minerva was lying about the whole thing about saving Lector and that he will not come back. I kissed the side of his head and told him it's okay.

"Er-chan!" we hear coming toward us is Milliana, a friend of Erza's and in her hands... was Lector. I was surprised to see him as well and Sting became as happy as ever to see his old friend alive and well. He was sleeping peacefully and looked so cute. Sting quickly took my arm over his shoulders and helped me run over to Lector with him. He almost fell over, but I quickly had us stopped before Lector that has recently woken up. We were all tearing up at this point, almost like a happy family getting reunited.

"Sting-kun! Claire-kun!" he screamed as he leaped into our arms as we both held him tight. We were all in a happy embrace together, and it all felt like everything was now okay. Life seem fulfilled... but now we had to soon address the condition with everyone else and their rescue mission for Lucy and Yukino.

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><p><strong>Wahhh another chapter down! I am so sorry if the wait was long! So much is happening... its called LIFE! Oh dear, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm kinda disappointed in the fight scene, I wish I did a bit better at describing what was going on x_x... but I hope it was okay enough for you to read my writing! Thank you again for readingfavoriting/following/reviewing! *happy  
><strong>


	16. Chapter 16: Blinding Darkness

**Hello my precious, lovely readers! I managed to finish this chapter rather quickly due to lots of inspiration... and typing while music is playing makes you type really, really fast! LOL Thank you for stopping by again and thank you so so so much for the heart-warming reviews! The follows/favorites are also very motivating and I just love to see more and more! So here is another chapter! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Hehe XD  
><strong>

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><p>As of right now, everything seemed like it was all for celebration. Well, that would have been the case if it wasn't for the kingdom's involvement with our guild. There was suppose to be a signal to indicate that everything is alright and that the rescue was a success, however, none of us has seen it. We were beginning to worry. Sting noticed the uneasy faces on the team, wiped a tear off, and asked about Natsu.<p>

"Why didn't Natsu-san participate?" Sting asked.

"Did something happen?" Lector followed up with another question.

"Everything will be alright," I answered. I quickly broke the embrace from a happy family and stared at the castle. Sure, I just said that everything would be alright, however, something just didn't feel right. It was a simple task of rescuing prisoners. Everyone would agree that mere castle guards wouldn't stand a chance against Mages with or without the aid of Magic. So... something just had to be up. I fumbled around with my locks and took out a dark colored one. "Unlock: Mammon."

"How may I serve you, Clarion-sama?" Mammon bowed in respect as she was unlocked from the Devil Spirit World.

"H-Hey, what are you doing?" Gajeel questioned.

"Mammon, can you sense anything going on in that castle?" I asked her without paying attention to answering Gajeel's.

"I can detect a darkness approaching... a shadow..."

"The hell?" I was certain now that something was up. Perhaps the castle had some Mages that worked for them that was holding up the reunion. I told everyone that I will be okay and I ordered Mammon to take me to where Natsu and the others were, in hopes that they are not separated in any way. Mammon had power over darkness and shadows. With a simple contact with her, she can turn anything into a shadow just like her body. And while being in a shadow form, it is easy to travel around without the worry of obstacles in your way.

"Clarion-sama," Mammon spoke. "There is a figure of darkness in front of your friends."

"Please, hurry," I begged of her. I couldn't see while I was in Mammon's shadow form, but it suddenly felt like we went through a wall or the ground or something. Suddenly, a flash of light and color appeared before my eyes and I end up somewhere within the castle with stoney walls. Natsu was with Lucy, but I couldn't see Mirajane or Wendy... so there was some sort of separation. They were surprised to see me, but from behind Natsu was more surprising to me... to see another Lucy? Okay, whatever. Now's not the time to think about it. I turned around to see a tall, male figure. I assume this was the "figure of darkness" that Mammon had sensed. He looked quite monotone, only wearing black and white, but also intimidating. He had black bangs to cover one half of his face and the rest of his hair was long and white and tied in a pony-tail. But... he didn't seem like a stranger. "Rogue...?"

He smiled, though, I couldn't tell if he was smirking or not.

"How nostalgic... Clarion," he said. "I am Rogue, I came from the future."

From the future? The hell? But soon after, I began to collapsed again. I was still under the effects of using Reaper. My head felt heavy and the rest of my body felt cold and dragging me down as if gravity was weighing down on me. Wendy noticed this and came to my aid with her healing abilities again. I kinda of felt bad, she was always there to heal when someone needs it. But Mammon came to my aid as well and placed her hand on my shoulder. Yes, she was truly an embodiment of darkness. Her abilities can go further by extracting darkness out of people. The darkness that filled my body from using the secret art was soon being eaten and I felt slightly better. I still felt weak, but it was enough to stand.

"Why did you come here?" Charle asked the future Rogue.

"To open... the door...," he answered.

"Eclipse?!" Lucy exclaimed.

Okay, since I just arrived here, I had no idea what they were talking about. But as Rogue began to explain, Wendy had filled me in about this Eclipse project thing. Apparently, according to this future Rogue, in 7 years, the world will be ruled by dragons with only 10% of the human population surviving. In that case, there will be 1000 dragons that will come destroy the country and with the use of the Eclipse cannon, then there will be enough power to destroy them before they wreak havoc on humanity. The story seemed quite outrageous if you ask me. But Rogue... is Rogue, right? But apparently, Rogue came back to the present in order to kill the person that will close the door and prevent the cannon to take place. We were all quite skeptical on that plan, but Rogue insisted on it. Natsu was especially not interested in it and asked for the identity of the person that so-called ruined the chance of humans to survive in the future.

"Lucy Heartfilia!" he screamed as his body turned into deadly looking shadows that quickly aimed straight for Lucy without warning. We were all screaming to help, but Lucy's other half had shield her, taking her place on death's next victim. I had to look away... death is something I can't do well with. This is why I can't take a life like this, to see someone have to leave this world when they don't want to is nothing I can ever look at. I could hear the cries, the soft voices of everyone, the pain of losing someone. Even if the Lucy was from another time, another world, belonging to another place, they were the same. A loss is a loss and I don't know how to feel about this. I could hear even more crying as she was departing from the world.

"To protect the future...," she said. If only I could use Reaper again... maybe I would have at least get to see her soul in the afterlife and learn more. This are beginning to escalate as the current Lucy keeps being persistent on not closing the door, but Rogue refuses to believe her. I see him grit his teeth together, but before he could react, Natsu went and beat him to it by giving him a piece of his mind across the hallway.

"Lucy, get out of here!" Natsu ordered because she was being targeted.

"Unlock: Lucifer, Asmodeus, Amon, Leviathan, Belphegor, Beezlebub!" I summoned the rest of my devils, Beezlebub would not be able to be summoned in a cramped place like this, so he'd most likely be outside.

"Devils...," I heard Lucy's Leo spirit said beneath his voice.

"Its about time to we get some nice fresh air," Leviathan commented.

"All of you, and I mean all of you, protect Lucy," I commanded as Rogue became rushing back.

"Lucy?"

"She is being targeted, protect her!"

With my voice raised, no one dared to question my commands. Natsu managed to hit Rogue in the head allowing for the rest to have time to make their getaway. He was getting annoyed with our intervention, but with a tear dropping from Natsu, he vowed to protect the last wish from Lucy. He turned into a shadow and attempted to get past us, but I wouldn't allow it. We have a similar sense of Magic, being that they are both forms of darkness. Shadows can't travel if there is rubble to delay their movement time. In the path of Rogue's shadow, I kicked the wall in order to prevent him from going further. He pushed back Natsu several feet.

"Are you really here to save the future?!" he questioned as he stopped himself from falling over by grabbing onto the stone in front of him. "I smell evil from you."

He only smiled.

There was a loud sound. Apparently, it was the Eclipse beginning to open. Either way, Rogue believed that no matter what happens the gate will open, but Lucy will somehow intervene. Natsu and I came to her defense by claiming that she will not do anything to destroy the future. In a tag battle stance, Natsu and I gave Rogue our all, he let out a gigantic wave of shadow that forced us to pull back. But Natsu didn't stand for it and went into Lightning mode and prepared for an attack. So it was true that Dragon Slayers had the ability to have different modes based on how much elements they can eat...

But future Rogue had something up his sleeve. A bright flash of light blinded us for a brief period of time and as we reopened our eyes, we see a completely different Rogue with one side of his body a complete shadow... White Shadow Dragon Mode. He disappeared and reappeared landing an attack on Natsu and then myself. It felt all too familiar.

"This is the power possessing both light and dark...," he said. "White Shadow Dragon Rough Silk!"

Think threads of light and dark began striking at Natsu and I. The feelings of a thousand paper cuts... most painful shit ever multiplied right onto our bodies. Blood spat out everywhere as the attacked seemed like to go on forever. We both fell to the floor barely able to keep our upper bodies up to look at Rogue.

"It's the power I stole from killing Sting," my ears and eyes perked up. "Though, it hasn't happened yet in this time."

"You... you killed him?" I slowly tried getting up. My heart was beating erratically at the sound of me actually saying that. The thought of Sting being killed was painful enough, but to hear that his own partner killed him? His own friend?

"Ah, Clarion... you were quite angry when you learned about the news," he reminisced. "You swore you'd come chasing after me for killing your fiance."

"Black God's Bellow," I enchanted filling up my bowels with Black Magic. But as I was ready to release the full throttle attack, the ground began to sink into an abyss of a shadow. And future Rogue attempted to retaliate using his own combined version of a roar attack, but before he could initiate the blow, lacrima orbs began to surround him. But before departing, he stated that he intends of killing me as well.

"Flash forward!" I heard a familiar voice. All of the lacrimas went straight for their target as if they were projectile bullets, but he ended up disappearing and escaping through the debris. Since future Rogue had fled, I dropped down to my knees and on all fours. I won't lie, the previous attacked was extremely deadly. I looked over on Natsu's side and he was completely out of it. I don't know why I seem less injured that he did though. Did Rogue purposely made the attack more direct on Natsu? If so, why? Or perhaps that I have my own resistance toward Shadow Magic? I did have some of Sting's Magic in me... so...

"Natsu, get a hold of yourself!" my train of snapped from the sound of Ultear crying out for Natsu who was in desperate need of help. She cried out for Meredy to get the medical aid out, but Natsu and I were in much bigger trouble as the ground kept sucking us more and more down. "Oh no! You two are going to be taken by the shadows!"

Shadows... they are on a lower tier of "darkness" in comparison to Black Magic...

With a bit of concentration and the last of my strength, I was able to weasel my way out from the portal-like shadow and I helped Ultear bring Natsu out from under. Meredy immediately administered the medical supplies for Natsu and I, but I insisted that Natsu needed it more than I do at this point. Ultear did most of the work on Natsu, disinfecting his wounds and giving him ointment to temporarily give him the strength to move around. He insisted nothing more as he woke up and ran off to find Rogue. Meredy quickly disinfected my wounds and bandaged them. I felt like a mummy, being bandaged from my neck down to by abdomen, my right arm and leg and couple spots here and there. She also had an extra set of clothes because I still haven't changed out from the previous battle. It was a think, silky, loose-fitting, light green top with buttons and some comfortable shorts. We then began to hear a loud noise coming from the courtyard of the castle. I said my thanks and luck to the two Crime Sorciere members as I ran off to see.

I ran as fast as I could, but it wasn't fast enough. Running any more faster and I'd be opening up my wounds again, but I managed to get to the site of the Eclipse, but I was shocked to see a massive, gigantic creature there as well... a dragon. My eyes scrambled to try and find someone within the frantic crowd. I saw Lucy close by stating that she had to close the door to prevent more dragons from coming through. My devils were still here as well trying fend off against the dragons and protect everyone around.

"This is a device that connects the Magic from the Book of Zeref and Spirit Magic!" I heard her explain. Zeref... and the door is connected to 400 hundred years ago... back when Zeref... I snapped out of it and ran over across the way to help Lucy. "Clarion?!"

"Let's close this thing!" I screamed over the noise. Many people began to cry in panic and also seep into despair. If the door keeps being open like this, then dragons would be able to rule over the world again and drive humanity into nonexistence. To some, it may be the end of the world, but the rest of us still have the faith. We all have the passion and the will to live on in this future, so we must do all we can to protect it. The pedestal to close the door wouldn't budge at all.

"Don't forget about me!" I heard Yukino shout across the way running towards us. She asked Lucy to take out her gold keys which combines with hers to summon all 12 Zodiac spirits to help push the door, but even that wasn't enough.

"What?! But how can this be?!"

"Celestial Spirit is not enough?!"

"Well... Devil Spirit Magic is also a Spirit Magic...," I looked over behind me to see all my devils. I gestured them to take part in this and help close the gate. Just like the Celestial spirits my devils developed the bright aura around them that allowed them to freely move around as if they were shooting stars. Their locks appeared next to the keys and it was almost like the spirits were brought together despite their differences. However, instead of pushing from the outside, they went behind the gates to pull in from the inside." W-Wait! Don't! If the gates closed you will be closed with it!"

I let go from pulling from the pedestal to appear before the near closing gates of the Eclipse, there was one dragon that was trying desperately to get through. Beezlebub was pulling each gate in while the rest were pulling on one side of the door. I kept shouting out them to stop. What happens when something from present comes through the Eclipse to the past?!

"Don't worry, Clarion-chan...," Lucifer tried to calm me down and reassure me that everything would be okay. But I didn't believe him. "Devils are not bound by time... we are bound by our Masters... and that is Lord Zeref."

"We were happy to have served you, Clarion-san," Amon said.

"Why... why do you all seem like you're saying goodbye?!" tears began rolling down my cheeks. I wanted to run straight toward them, but the stupid dragon kept preventing me to. "This doesn't have to end this way!"

"This was our destiny, Claire-chan," Asmo said with the first solemn look I've seen on him from all these years. "When you commit all sins, then it is time for us to lock ourselves back to our world where we belong. We are not needed anymore and we were always ordered to cut ties with you when the time is right. We do not have to baby you anymore."

"What are you saying?! Asmo?! Everyone... I-I...," I didn't know what to do at this time. "Lock... Lock... Lock, Lock, Lock... why can't I lock you back?!"

"Cause we have already left," Leviathan said. "We hope you do well."

"We will miss you, Clarion-sama," Mammon, I could see a tear drop down from her emotionless eyes.

"Maybe someday, we will have another assignment," Belphegor said.

"Time will heal the wounds, so make sure the present counts."

They all just kept saying goodbye, kept saying their last thoughts, their last wishes, their last hopes... I couldn't stand to hear it anymore. As the gates began to close more and more in, I kept being more and more like a baby. I just kept crying, this couldn't be the end. I held onto their locks as if they were the most fragile things in the world, but they were the most precious things to me. I kept yelling at them not to go, I needed them. They were like family to me, their presence, even as locks always kept me feeling safe and sound. I loved my devils, my spirits, my guardians. They were always to be my angels in my hearts. I still couldn't believe that they were gone. And as the gates were finally closed, with 7 dragons escaping I still didn't want to believe it. I stared down at my locks, opening and closing them as if they were still working... but now, they are only mere locks that cannot do anything. They locked themselves back into their world when devil and celestial spirits were united as one. Why...?

I looked up staring at the closed gate, sitting there as if I was waiting from them to open it up themselves or something and come back.

"Superbia, Avaritia, Luxuria, Invidia, Gula, Ira, Acedia...," I quietly called them all out by their ancient names and an enchantment suddenly came into memory. Thalia Metria... the ultimate Magic of the sins. Why is this suddenly in my memory...? My devils...

"You just had to stick your nose in where it didn't belong... Lucy... Yukino... Clarion."

We all turn our heads to see future Rogue approaching. He was disappointed at the number of dragons that came over, but believed that even a small number of 7 would be enough for his plans... of creating an era where humans are extinct and dragons reign. My head and my heart were in a different place right now. All that was left of me was complete pain. The pain of losing a family and the pain of having to fight a new war. There was nothing more painful that this. I had nothing to feel anymore and all that was on my agenda is to defeat Rogue. I wanted to end him. For the first time, I wanted to end something and not feel hesitant about it. A dark aura appeared around me as my emotions became focused on nothing but revenge. This was the first time I felt close to Zeref. He commanded the dragons to wipe out every Mage in the city to 'start off' and I was right over my edge by just looking at his face. He was prepared to ride off into town with one of the dragons he managed to control.

"Black God's Azrael...," I summoned a small thread of Black Magic in which it quickly traveled across the rubble and toward the dragon. It was going to draw a circle around its target, but future Rogue picked up on this and commanded the dragon to quickly fly. No matter, I managed to draw a circle. Immediately after its completion, almost instantaneously, a large pillar of Black Magic shot up to the sky in a massive vertical explosion. The circle was quite smaller than what I hoped for, but its destruction would never be lessened by the size of its vicinity. The pillar managed to hit part of dragon, but it was still able to fly.

* * *

><p><em>"That woman...," Motherglare, the dragon of adamantine, looked down as she soared through the sky with the future counterpart of Rogue Cheney on her back. The previous attack left no serious injuries, but it has left an imprint on the scales.<em>_  
><em>

_"Who? Clarion?" Rogue looked in the same direction as his chosen flying companion. "She's something... but no matter, she won't be able to stop me."_

_"It is not that...," she said which gave Rogue a curious look. "She has the eyes of Zeref."_

_"Pfft, impossible," he scoffed at the idea that Zeref was the one that taught Clarion her Black God Slayer Magic. The idea would seem rather incredible to believe in the first place. Zeref was considered to be the most evil being on the planet and would never dare to teach a Mage a sort of Magic that could potentially annihilate him. But the sound of fear at the thought of Zeref had shaken the dragon to which it made Rogue feel uneasy that the dragons own fear of Zeref would be enough to break the Dragon Manipulation Magic he is using on them.  
><em>

_"I will be honest with you, my King," said Motherglare. "That attack just now... may not look like it did damage to me, but I can feel the pain. I shall endure it, but..."_

_"What? What do you mean that there is pain? Your dragon scales should not-"_

_But then he realize and remembered that I was a Black God Slayer. Despite not being a Dragon Slayer, the only known beings who can pierce through the rough scales of a dragon, Black Magic would not adhere to scales since it was a Magic that focused on taking away life. Without necessarily causing wounds, Black Magic has the ability to still cause misfortune._

* * *

><p>"Shit...," I cursed at myself for letting them get away. The aura of darkness was still surrounding me. Using the swift nature of Black God's Osiris, I used it to lift me up in midair and follow Rogue in pursuit.<p>

_"Clarion-san...," Yukino said to herself._

_"What is it Yukino?" Mirajane asked the seemingly frightened young woman. She had her hands cupped together close to her chest and looked in despair as she watched me fly up to the sky. _

_"She has become a different person..."_

Nothing else mattered to me anymore, not at this point. If all of this had caused me to sever my ties from my devils, then I rather end it in their name. All of this was caused by the Book of Zeref. To be honest, I never heard of such a thing from Zeref, but from what I can deduce that it is a book of all his secrets, all his Magics, all his teachings. It makes me angry to see people use it in such a way, granted, I'm sure the royal system did not mean for this to happen since they were tricked by Rogue. But this was the last for him. I don't know how he got consumed by the darkness, but I wanted to be the one to rip it out of him. I saw Natsu on top of a roof and looking dead at Rogue. I gave him a lift on my stream of Magic and went straight after Rogue.

After some deliberations, Natsu went into his usual inspiration note about how everyone can do anything as long as we work together to end this sort of thing. With 7 dragons escaping and 7 Dragon Slayers here... there was hope for humanity. With one blow, Natsu was able to release a cry of pain, something none of us have been able to do because we were not Dragon Slayers with the power to pierce through their seemingly impenetrable scales. Even if I can't defeat a dragon, maybe I could just defeat Rogue... then again, Natsu wanted dibs on him.

I sped right in front of him and gave him a punch to the face, but he rubbed it off with a few scratches. Natsu came into the fight and we were just exchanged punches and kicks. It all seemed quite useless to me and it was just draining our strength. I did a bellow attack, but with his ability to turn into a shadow at will, it was almost impossible to land a attack on him. He was getting me aggravated the more he kept being over-confident in his abilities.

"NAATTSSUUUUUU!"

It was the sound of Lucy's voice and her... naked body was hurtling straight for us. I manged to dodge her approach, but she ended up hitting Natsu right off the dragon... I'm sure they won't fall to their deaths, but it just left an awkward tension. But I snapped out of it, and resumed our pathetic little fist fight. I didn't want to say we were pretty even, cause Rogue was the one landing more the hits than I was. Even so, I didn't feel like we had that big of a gap of strength considering we were both entities of light and dark attributes. Though, Rogue still kept being quite over-confident and arrogant about his profound abilities. He was beginning to have that Sabertooth vibe I use to get from the guild. Just seeing him be this way... it slowly calmed me down. I didn't want my mind and body to be consumed by the darkness and end up like what Rogue has.

"Are you this lonely, Rogue?" I said with a soft look as I dodged one of his punches.

"Lonely?" he said as he swiped across the air with his shadow Magic to block my retaliations. "Are you absurd?"

"What is so glorifying about being a king of dragons and leaving the human race extinct?" I questioned him without trying to fight anymore. He followed along and we were both at a temporary truce. "You can't live forever, Rogue. You are not immortal, you are not invincible. All of this is just a false glory. You are manipulating the minds of dragons to do your bidding and to treat you like a king. All of this is fake. You will never be able to be a true king."

"Shut up," he gritted his teeth.

"At the end of it all... you are left alone, Rogue. The only human left on the planet being forced to control dragons in order to survive alone. You will die alone, you will perish alone, and you will suffer alone. What happened Rogue? You had friends. I was your friend, Sting was your friend, Sabertooth was your family. Why let yourself be consumed by your own shadow? Isn't that pathetic? To let your own Magic take your soul over?"

"Shut up, shut up," he closed his eyes and covered his ears with his hands. I was getting close. I had to get through to Rogue somehow... the real Rogue. Ever since I met Rogue, I knew he was not the type to harm others unless he had to. He was always a man that cared for his friends and comrades no matter how things were. He cherished the things he loved.

"You're seeing this through a tunnel vision, Rogue. Defeating Acnologia may be a great feat, but at the cost of humanity itself? All of this for your own person, selfish gain of feeling like a king? A king of a race that you are not even a part of? You're forgetting that you're human. You-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" he yelled out his lungs. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT FROSCH TO SEE YOU AS?!" I took a step forward. "SOMEONE WHO HAS LOST HIS SENSE OF MIND? SOMEBODY THAT IN DENIAL OF WHO HE TRULY IS?! YOU'RE NOT A KING, ROGUE. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO RULE THIS WORLD BY MIND CONTROLLING DRAGONS. YOU'RE BLINDED BY DARKNESS!"

"..."

Without a sign of warning, the moment I blinked, I see Rogue right in front of me with a sly smile on his face. I see droplets of blood, slowly flying across our faces... a burning sensation was coming from my abdomen. I felt something come up my throat and I coughed out something. I couldn't feel anything from my abdomen down. It felt like I was tipping over, falling. I still had a little bit of power left, so as I slowly began to lose my footing... I took a deep, painful breath.

"Black God's... Pluto," I managed to say despite feeling like I was drowning in a warm, thick liquid. Black Magic was excreting out of my body, covering it completely and quickly began to enlarge itself. It started to deteriorate future Rogue's shadow blade and it was consuming his hand. The pain of having your own flesh and blood be stolen of its life was enough for Rogue to retreat back a bit. I could see his hand heavily looked burnt. Everything in the world felt like it was going in slow motion. Even though I couldn't do much against Rogue as I wanted, but I have hopes that at least immobilizing his hand would help. If I fall and crash, I hope I land on my head so it can end quickly. And at least I did something... I believe I go through to Rogue... somehow, someway.

* * *

><p>"What are you spacing out for?!" Sting yelled to his partner as he ran toward him. Rogue was on his knees, looking down, almost in an apologetic and remorseful manner. He looked up and saw his White Dragon Slayer comrade with a few wounds, but not too badly injured. "I'll lend you a hand to do this!"<p>

"You... took one down already?" Rogue stood up acting surprised by his partner's remarkable feat.

"Nah... I just brought it with me!" Coming right out behind him was a dragon that just crushed through a building just to follow Sting. He burst out into a laughter to which Rogue got annoyed at thinking that he is taking this dire situation as a joke. But that was just how Sting was, he would always try to smile during the worst of things because that is what makes him stronger. "We'll show em how strong the twin dragons are!"

As the two dragons they were facing, Scissor Runner and Revire, were having their own conversation. Sting and Rogue noticed a flash of light coming right at them that became bigger and bigger.

"That's...!"

"Clarion!" Sting yelled out. He was always there to catch me, isn't he? He only had to run a few feet in front of him to which he slid on hide knees in order to catch me. The impact made my wound hurt even more, but at least it was better than hitting the ground. "H-Hey!"

"Stop yelling...," I tried slapping his cheek, but my hand was too weak. He noticed the gaping wound I had on my abdomen and began to panic. Sweat came dripping down and he started to get his eyes all watery. I felt bad that I broke his smile and at a time like this... he wouldn't be able to try smiling. "H-Hey... shh..."

"Clarion..." Rogue came in closer next to Sting who was trying to hole me delicately. "What..."

"Its not your fault Rogue. I know you won't turn into that."

"So it was...," he began to tear up.

"No... shh...," I tried reassuring him. Now that I get to see our time's Rogue... I can never imagine how he could ever become someone as evil as that. Everyone has their dark side, but I suppose Rogue had no one at the time to prevent him from falling in. But I looked back at Sting and believe that because of all of this mess, that he would sure to be there for his partner. These two were like brothers if you think about it. They were also like the yin and yang. Two people that need each other for balance and harmony.

"Eh? A woman?" Scissor Runner looked closely. He wasn't that close, but dragons had a keep sense of smell. He sniffed the air that made a slight breeze. "She smells divine... I bet she tastes like it too..."

"Hang on a second, Scissor Runner."

"What Revire? You're no fun," he scoffed at the dragon.

"It's not that... look at her eyes," he started stepping back a bit. "They're red..."

"So what? What are you talking about?" The deadly looking dragon looked back at me and noticed how my eyes were: red with a black ring around it. "You can't be serious... someone with the same eyes as him... Do you think...?"

"I don't know, but I do not intend to stay and find out," Revire said as he was ready to take flight.

"But wait, she is wounded though, it looks like she may not make it."

"WOULD YOU GUYS STOP TALKING?!" Sting yelled at the gossiping dragons. I was barely able to stay conscious. My eyes may be barely open, but my mind was slowly going away. The pain was all too much and I felt like my soul was slowly being taken away. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS EVEN TALKING ABOUT?!"

"Let's just end this quickly, take the boy!" Scissor Runner ordered Revire to which he agreed to. "We musn't allow this woman to continue living if we think who she really is!"

"N-NO!" Rogue yelled as Revire swooped him in his claw and quickly flew off. Sting yelled for Rogue, but he couldn't do a thing at this point. He was torn between saving his friend and leave someone he cares deeply for to die... or perish along with me. He was being indecisive at this moment and it was getting closer to experiencing something that was too little, too late. But as he was ready to make his move, Scissor Runner had used his claw to slap Sting and I. He couldn't keep his grip onto me cause he was already trying to as gentle as we could and we were separated and airborne. Sting tried to reach over to me, but I couldn't move and we both flew away from each other. The hard impact from the dragon's claw made me cough out more blood. As Sting fell back onto the ground, I was still in midair and Scissor Runner was preparing himself for a roar attack. Sting tried to reach for me, but he was rejected from the impact of the roar. I was right in the middle of it, and Sting had his eyes wide open the entire time as he saw my body disappear right before him.

... And if that really happened, then that really would've been lame.

* * *

><p>"The hell was that just now?" Sting said to his Shadow Dragon Slayer partner. Rogue had the same expression on his face of disbelief and confusion. They both had the same vision just now. It was so chilling that they felt their mouths dry up from seeing that whole minute flash before their eyes. What kind of phenomenon would allow the same people to see the... possible future like that? They couldn't point their finger onto it, but they heard the two dragons discuss their next movements to which it immediately made them act to prevent such a horrible event from happening. Rogue quickly saw through Revire's attempt to capture him to which he immediately dodge and fought back, injuring the dragon. Sting also moved into action by giving Scissor Runner his own laser-like roar attack whilst running to a safer location to leave my body away from the battlegrounds. The twin dragon's priority was to keep the dragons away to which they both used their special Unison Raid attack to hit both dragons and drive them farther and farther away. However, when the two looked back, they were both in chibi-shock mode as they saw me get up.<p>

"YOU IDIOT!" Sting ran towards me while I was slowly walking forward holding onto where my abdomen was carefully. He took off both of his rather long gloves that he was wearing and tied them both delicately around my wound to stop it from bleeding more. I tightened it myself and it immediately felt better. He scolded at me for being so rash, but I only showed off a similar smile that he did to Rogue before.

"Don't let that woman live, Revire!" Scissor Runner yelled.

"Don't tell me what I already know!" he yelled back, they were on the verge of arguing with each other, but Revire opened his jaw wide to prepare for a roar attack. Rogue yelled back at us to warn about the imminent danger, but I stood my ground and closed my eyes as I enchanted:

**"Wander through the fire, Open thy gates of Hell**  
><strong>Unforgiven devils laid to suffer<strong>  
><strong>Show me thy pain<strong>  
><strong>O Alighieri<strong>  
><strong>I am the ruler of the underworld<strong>  
><strong>Your damnation calls<strong>  
><strong>O Seven deadly sins<strong>  
><strong>Superbia, Avaritia, Luxuria,<strong>  
><strong>Invidia, Gula, Ira, Acedia..."<strong>

The floor below me began to shake as darkness began to engulf my entire body. My eyes reopened to show off my eyes are no longer red, but rather... inverted. My eyes were now white with my sclera turning black.

**"Burn!**  
><strong>Thalia Metria!"<strong>

Suddenly appearing around Revire were orbs of light in colors that range from black to red. The orbs were distracting enough for the dragon to stop his breath attack, but immediately after, the orbs began to converge and focus its power onto the giant reptilian being. Darkness began to engulf the dragon as he panicked from being able to feel the tremendous force and the burn from the attack. As the spell wore off, Revire was left with burns all over its body to which Scissor Runner began to step back in fear from the damage. But he could not allow humans to know that he is afraid and began to his strike as well. Rogue dodged and Sting held me close as he dodged as well to help me move. However, rather than let me in on the fight, he went farther away from the war zone. He told me to stay out of it because I had enough damage and should heal. I wanted to protest, but he had already left me to return to aid Rogue. I hated to admit it, but I suppose to was right. I couldn't run that well, but I had to because the dragons wanted to make sure that I was dead.

I hid behind a building that was destroyed one one side and sat down to rest up. Zeref... were you really that kind of man to have even dragons fear you that long ago? I wasn't so sure anymore. The way the town looked right now... appeared exactly how my town was when it was being attacked by that demon. Everywhere you looked was rubble, debris, broken structures, a human life no where in sight, and yet you hear the sound of destruction everywhere. It all seem so nostalgic... and not in the good feeling kind of way.

* * *

><p><em>"It is done... good work everyone," Lucifer said as all of the seven devils return peacefully to their world. Lucifer couldn't really look at the disappointed and saddened faces of everything. He only stared at the chandelier that moved slowly from side to side. The atmosphere right now was so depressing that no one knew how to brighten the mood. Even Belphephor wasn't in her usual drunken, lazy, and whining mood that would always butt into the tension of things. "Well... it has been a long 17 year journey with Clarion..."<em>

_"Yes...," Mammon softly said but continued having her eyes softly closed with her head sulking downward. _

_"C'mon everyone," Lucifer said. "We did well... Clarion has grown up to be a fine woman and she has finally found a true family to take care of her and protect. We all knew that we had to leave her someday. We were only ordered to take care of her until she has committed all sins because-"_

_"Because when she does, that is when she has grown up. That is when she realizes what she wants. That is when she learns," Belphegor sighed as she finished Lucifer's sentence. Sins are not necessarily a bad thing at all to have. Every human being has their flaw and their moments and it is what makes human beings learn and thrive from their mistakes. _

_"Well, thanks."_

_"Do not fear," Mammon said. "In due time, we will be meant to have business with the humans again."_

* * *

><p>I was beginning to feel a little bit better. My head felt better after having to go through the vertigo because of the immense of blood loss. I raised up my hand to touch Zeref's necklace that was thankfully still attached. Knowing that it was here made me have a sign of relief, I don't know why, but it was a little trinket of mine that was always able to make me feel safe and sound. But that peaceful feeling within this catastrophe was suddenly broken when I heard this extremely loud explosion sound coming from where the gates were. I tested out my legs by using the wall behind me for suppose, they were still kind of wobbly and numb. I kept using the wall as support as I continue walking toward the site of the Eclipse. It wasn't too far from here, but as I was walking toward it I notice multiple locations around Crocus were glowing for some reason. And in the air, I saw the fire dragon disappear, along with all those dragonoid minion hatch-lings... they were all disappearing. I stopped moving a bit to look at this scene. It felt so beautiful to see everything that was causing all of us pain and suffering were all beginning to leave.<p>

"Clarion!" I heard Rogue's voice and the sound of running behind me. I turn over my head to see Sabertooth's Dragon Slayers, alive and well, coming over. They seem glad to see me as I am to see them. I would have run back toward them, but I would've ended up embarrassing myself since I would probably just collapse as soon as I let go of the wall.

"H-Hey-" I called out to them, but Sting scooped me up in his arms. The sudden movement made my abdomen hurt like a bitch so I smacked Sting in the head. As usual, he wasn't too phased by it, but I did leave a gigantic bump on his head. I guess he was too happy to see me to be in pain. I sighed and looked over to Rogue, he seemed pretty okay despite after the whole ordeal. I suppose seeing the future wasn't too bad considering that we now know what to avoid.

"Geez, after all that... the person that _wasn't_ a Dragon Slayer was the only one that was remotely close to injuring a dragon...," Sting gave a pout to me which I couldn't help but smile at.

"I don't count," I giggled. "Black Magic affects any living thing."

"Its still kinda scary to think that you're a Black God Slayer... I mean-"

"ANYWAYS...," I raised my voice slightly to indicate that I wanted to changed to subject in order to avoid going into that sort of topic for a conversation. Sting and Rogue appeared to be smart enough to get that tone in my voice and agreed to just settle down the chit chat about it. Granted, I didn't know exactly what they had in mind to talk about regarding me being a Black God Slayer... but I didn't really want to get myself deep into the talk to find out. Sting let me down and had my arm go over his shoulder so he could give me support to walk. I had so many injuries that I didn't even know where the pain was hurting. We walked over to the site of the Eclipse together to celebrate with everyone else that this dragon war was finally over. "You look like a mess."

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><p><strong>I better... stop getting so excited when writing these chapters because now... I'm wayyyyy too caught up with the actual series! Oh noes! And if some of you don't know yet, or don't remember... this is a series that follows the real Fairy Tail series based upon what it would be like with my OC... if I do end up writing the chapters that catch up to the series.. I suppose I will go back to writing one-shots or fillers for the time being.. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and please look forward to future ones! Please excuse any mistakes or such.. I'm sorry for being human! Thank you all again! <strong>


	17. Chapter 17: Alive

**Hello my wonderful spectacular readers! Thank you all for the favorites/reviews/follows and what not! They make me really, really happy! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Since this arc is coming to an end, I would gladly love to have suggestions for the next arc! Do you guys want my OC to participate in the storyline's arc or... something else? Or both? Or is there something fuzzy about my OC that should be cleared up in a chapter? Anything you have! Leave your suggestions and requests in a review or PM me and I'll definitely take a look into it! But for now, enjoy! Thanks again!  
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><p>The following day, the entire town went immediately into recovery mode. Specialized healers and medical professionals came into town to treat everyone that was injured in the battle. Others came to view the damage themselves as well as assist in remodeling and rebuilding. Most Mages were excused from having to do any hard work labor involved with the restoration and were also invited for this ball specifically meant in their honor. However, that was at the end of the week while everybody can have a change to recover most of their wounds and the castle can have their own preparations made. For me and for everyone else that was gravely injured, we were invited to heal up in the royal family's own personal medicinal spa. This place has everything... but, I'm not really the pampered type and my wounds were still too sensitive to take the sting from the baths. In a separate section of the castle was a clinic-like area which I stayed at to rest up my wounds in bed. You wouldn't believe the amount of bandages that I had to go through. It felt quite lonely being by myself in bed. On top of the nightstand that was next to my bed were my locks, each free from the usual ring that I attached them to. It made me sad to look at them, but being without them made me feel sad as well.<p>

Lucifer's lock was tipped over on its side. I extended my arm, grabbed it, and held it close to my chest, it felt cold and lifeless. I looked at it once more and pulled up the shackle to hear the click, but to no devil appeared before me from crossing over from the Demon Spirit World. The feeling of depression was kicking in as I just replayed their departing scene over and over again. I was crying for my devils, but they disobeyed me to continue helping the Celestial Spirits close the gate... do Spirits really time travel like that? I know that they are immortal... but does that really involve being immortal to the laws of time? I suppose... who knows how long all Spirits have been around... Can they not just... come back? I just don't know anymore.

And Thalia Metria... the spell that suddenly came into my memory as soon as my devils were disconnected from me. My locks are nothing but novelty items and that spell is my only proof that they have existed in my life. I can only wish that they were to return to my life again. They were the closest things I have to a family... and just thinking of that made my eyes turn moist and dripping with salty tears. I held the lock tighter and I clenched my teeth so I couldn't hear myself start to sob. I know I should move on, that is most likely what they want me to do... to live on and be strong in their names. When I had no one, I had them and I need to demonstrate how much they have meant to me. I can't help but miss them... but I know they're watching me, they were always watching me.

I heard the door knob click and a I quickly set the lock down and patiently waited to whoever was visiting me while wiping away the tears.

"Yo!" greeted a spiky-haired blond greeted me with a bright smile on his face that you can see the canines on his teeth. He was able to stand up and walk perfectly fine with only a few bandages here and there. Lucky bastard. But when he turned around the corner, I saw a bouquet of flowers in his hand. There was a beautiful assortment of primarily white flowers along with a few pastel yellow flowers. They were in a lovely vase filled with water and he set them down on the nightstand opposite to the one with my locks. I saw that he glanced over to it, but he quickly returned his gaze on setting down the delicate vase. I was too focused on staring at the pure looking floral arrangement that I didn't realize that Sting sat on the bed and was really, really close to my face. He stared at me for awhile causing me to blush, and suddenly planted a really swift peck on my lips that I didn't even have the time to blink. I looked away from his gaze.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, but how are you?" he asked as he looked down and placed a touch on my abdomen wound as if his hand was a feather. "You did get a pretty deep cut there from... uh... yeah..."

"I know who he was, stupid," I sighed and smiled a little bit, but a quick flash back was running through my mind. How future Rogue said he murdered Sting... and how he referred to him as my fiance... I shook off from that thought. That is a future that won't happen, at least the murder part... I rather not think about my future with Sting that much. "How's Lector?"

"He's doing okay. He's resting up right now. Should I let you rest up?"

"Stay with me."

He was momentarily surprised how I answered back at him so quickly like that. I really needed someone to be with right now. I had to admit that my state right now leaves me very vulnerable and fragile. He smiled at my decision and kissed my forehead.

"How's the guild? Did something happen with-"

"The Master and Lady went into hiding," the thought of that sort of shocked me. I would be lying if I were to think that I was surprised by that. To be honest though, I didn't expect for those two to go to that extreme to avoid humiliation. But then the thought of who would run the guild came to mind. I would hate to see Sabertooth be disbanded or something because of a lack of Master. Then again, the idea that members would decide to join Fairy Tail would be kind of exciting. "We're trying to find a replacement Master, but we rather not stress over about that for now. Besides, they named me the 'leader' of Sabertooth!"

He said that last sentence with such happiness in his voice that I couldn't not smile at that. I congratulated him on his sort of temporary promotion, but nonetheless I was quite proud of him. Another click sound from the door was heard and I assumed it would be another visitor maybe from Fairy Tail. However, instead of seeing a familiar face, I see little short man that wasn't Makarov.

"Y-Your Majesty," Sting softly said as he is shocked to be in the presence of the King of Fire himself. Right behind him was a fair, green-haired maiden, the Princess of Fiore herself. There were no guards around them and they both greeted us with a smile. I didn't expect for the royal family to visit me at a time like this, so that got me curious to why they would even want me to be their audience. Sting was politely instructed to leave the three of us alone to which he complied and reassured me that he would be back when we were done with whatever was in stored for me. I got quite worried about what they needed me for. They were probably now fully aware that I am a user of Black Magic to some extent which was highly illegal around these parts. I could be deported or arrested or something.

"Clarion Ferez...," Princess Hisui called out my name. She looked at me with a serious, stern look on her face as if she was about to tell me some bad news. She walked over to the side of the bed and gently placed her hand on top of mine. The unusual gesture caused me to look up at her to see a soft, sullen-looking smile. "On behalf of the royal family, I would like to personally thank you for your service to the country."

"Service?"

"For aiding Fiore in its time of need," she specified herself. "You decided to serve your country by being a part of the war and doing your best to protect the people around you."

"I'm flattered by your gratefulness," I smiled back at her and used my free hand to gently place it on the hand Princess Hisui placed on mine. "But, there is no need for a thanks. I know you are thankful for the wonderful people that inhabit this country."

"Well, putting that aside, Miss Ferez," the King stepped into the conversation. "We are indebted to you. To accommodate for your sacrifice and loss, we would like you to know that you have the royal family's full seal of approval."

"Being a user of a sort of Black Magic, you would technically fall under the lines of being a Dark Mage under the crime of utilization of Black Arts... however, we trust that you are not a being that would use it for evil deeds," Hisui explained. "So long as you are under the surveillance of a legal Guild, we will not prosecute you."

I felt like I was being treated too unfairly. I heard that a Dragon Slayer was imprisoned by the Magic Council temporarily left to aid in the war, however, he was sent back to his holding cell. Sure, I haven't really committed any crimes that he might have done, but I was still guilty of harboring illegal Magic. But this is probably just something to get on my good side because the royal family themselves had utilized illegal Magic to create the Eclipse project. I suppose this was a fair trade in order for me to shut my mouth about it, but I should be grateful that I wasn't sent to prison. If that was the case, I'd probably be a fugitive along with Crime Sorciere.

"You can trust me," I told her and she smiled in relief. She notified me that there will be a banquet held at the castle to celebrate all the Mages that participated in the war and hopes that I attend. Along with her father, she left the room and I simply just stared at the wall in front of me. It didn't seem like Sting was going to come in, he probably left thinking that this would take awhile. I laid my body flat on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I didn't intend to fall asleep or anything, I just wanted to think to myself. Again, I looked at my locks. The longer I stare at them, the more reality sinks in.

The feeling was nostalgic... like the feeling when Zeref had disappeared. Only this time, I had to see their departure with my very own eyes. Seeing all of their faces... and I couldn't even bear to believe that would be the last I would see them. I lifted my hand up and used it to cover my eyes, I was beginning to cry and the tears started streaming down on the pillow. Why did they leave me like this? Couldn't they just fucking push in the gates from the outside like what the Celestial spirits were doing? Did they want this to happen... why? What is all of this? Why do I have to go through it? Can... I bring them back some how?

Without even attempting to wipe away the tears, I got up from my supine position and proceeded to stand up. My body was still numb, but I had a pair of crutches. I grabbed my locks and safely secured them in the pockets of my black skirt. Clothing garments like skirts are not really my thing, but due to my bandages, I couldn't really wear anything else without making it too uncomfortable for my wounds. I looked out the window to see the sun was out, and not a single movement was shown on the leaves of the trees. I was wearing a loose-fitting, silk, buttoned up, sleeveless, pastel green top with a low, black collar.. so I should be fine, I only plan on getting some fresh air. Sting would probably end up coming back, so I left him a note saying that I was just going out to take a breather.

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><p>I didn't want to go into town because everyone would probably be too busy with rebuilding the damaged structures and an injured Mage would probably distract them. I wanted to be alone anyways. I might be pushing it, but I decided to walk over to the forest area that were on the outskirts of Crocus. Most of it was damaged from the dragons, but broken branches weren't too hard to walk over.<p>

The forest wasn't as beautiful as it was, then again, how would trees ever survive against huge monsters like dragons? There were a lot of dirt patches, leaves everywhere, and not a single perfectly intact tree anywhere. Lifting my hand up to touch the body of a tree, and I remember how I sucked out a life of a tree to ease my emotions. Then, I had a crazy idea. Black Gods wield the ability to use Black Arts: the manipulation of life... it doesn't only apply to Death Magic like I primarily use... but also Living Magic. According to the stories I've been told, Zeref using Living Magic to give birth to many, many different kinds of creations. I even recall Hades being able to use Living Magic before... so... it was Living Magic that Zeref used to create my devils... so maybe... I can recreate them. The only issue is... I have no idea how to use it or even bring forth to it. Even after opening the Second Origin, there was nothing developed about Living Magic.

"Are you having difficulties?"

I turned around after being surprised by a sudden voice. It was Mavis-dono descending down from the sky. She had a sullen look on her face and I wonder why she had such a look since it contrasted with her usual cheery self. I didn't know how long she was there, but she apparently knew that I was being curious about Living Magic and how it could be connected to my Devil Spirit Magic. Mavis-dono did have quite an extensive knowledge about Black God Slayer Magic, so I thought maybe I could ask her about the 'living' side of the Black Arts. She frowned when I asked her.

"You are capable of using Living Magic... however," she looked down. "It is best if you do not try to even move to that side of your Magic."

"But if Zeref used Living Magic to create my devils... then maybe I can use it too so I can bring them back-"

"It won't work like that," she shot her head up with a serious look on her face. I didn't want to argue with her, but I was becoming desperate at this point. If I know that I am capable of performing such a task, then it would take a lot to convince to not go through with it. If I can do it, I want to do it. I am willing to do anything to bring them back. "Living Magic is animating the inanimate. You cannot reanimate a lost object."

I was about to go over the edge. I understand that it might be far-fetched to return spirits back to a certain time period, but they are not objects. I clenched my fists together to prevent myself from raising my voice.

"But...," I took a deep breath. "I have their locks. Can I somehow-"

"I suggest that you do not try," she responded rather quickly.

"Why...," I was getting frustrated. She turned her back on me and slowly began disappearing again. "TELL ME WHY!"

"The more you use Living Magic, the more you lose your humanity."

As soon as she was gone, I started to break down again. I dropped one of my crutches and used my hand to punch the tree behind me. I left a crack in the tree, but my strength was still depleted. It also didn't help that I had wounds there too which caused them to open up. The pain made me fall to the ground, holding my hand through the pain. Pulling myself together, I sat against the tree and leaned on it, looking up at the still sky. Using Living Magic to lose your humanity... quite ironic when you say, but I suppose it could be true. Zeref did go through a period of insanity and he was a Black Arts Mage. Maybe that is how he obtained immortality... through the repetitive usage of giving life to beings just caused him to sustain a life forever. I suppose if I bring life back to my devils... what else will stop me from bringing more things to life? Have I really forgotten that Living Magic is what created that monster to attack my town and lose everything?

I slouched down to lay on my back. Normally, the leaves and branches of a tree would be there to shade off from the sunlight, but they were destroyed. I used my left, good hand to prevent the rays of the sun to get into my eyes. I could still feel my right hand pulsing and burning up from the impact before and I could feel my bandages moisten up from the blood oozing. If Living Magic takes away humanity... then what about Death Magic? Does Death Magic retain one's sanity? If you look at it that way... maybe my will to keep things alive balances out the effects of Death Magic. The precious things around me are what makes me have the will to live and preserve life itself. So, if I were to use Living Magic, then there would be an imbalance because I don't have a heart to kill... at least not now. This is all too confusing... maybe I'm trying too hard to understand. Some things are better left untold... but I started to cry again.

I miss my family. Zeref, my devils, and I suppose my actual parents. Mavis-dono is all I have left of a family, but it would be silly of me to think that she is alive... she is only a spirit manifested through her powerful Magic as she passed. Either that... or Zeref- I need to stop being obsessed with Living Magic. Just the thought of it makes me question what is alive and what is not. I feel lonely as ever again. I feel as if I don't belong anywhere.

I felt my cheek being brushed and I look to see Sting sitting by me. I was shocked to see him and my body just jolted toward him. I hugged around his neck and he scolded me for moving so rashly that it could open my wounds. I started to cry more and Sting knew.

"I don't really know what to do with a crying girl," he admitted as he held me closer. "But I won't leave you."

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><p>"Do I really need to wear these clothes?" Yukino said as she was well-dressed for the ball. The outfit she wore suited her very well and I thought she looked great. She still had that sense of a low-esteem on her, but I reassured her that she was absolutely dazzling.<p>

After a few days of recovery, most of everyone's wounds were healed up. There was not any specific attire for the royal ball being held for the Mages, but I do believe that everyone took this opportunity to look as extravagant as they can to feel up the royalty atmosphere in the castle. I didn't really have a sense of fashion, so I let Lucy, Mira, Lisanna, and Yukino doll me up whatever they thought looked good on me. My hair was curled more and tied into a ponytail with my bands and a few strands of hair still in front. Yukino thought the color white would look good on me since, so she picked out a sleeveless, white ballgown dress that was embroidered with gold. I tried it on and it reminded me of a wedding dress. I looked pretty darn good, so I guess I was going to wear this.

We all arrived at the same time and the castle looked absolutely gorgeous from the inside. Many people have already arrived and helping themselves to the luxurious food that was prepared for us. I walked around the room and I finally found Sting opening a bottle of booze and Lector by his side. Rogue and Frosch were also accompanying him.

"Claire-chan!" As soon as Frosch saw me, he ran toward me and I hugged him. I laughed and smiled, he was adorable. I walked over to the dragon duo and Lector climbed onto my head as he usually would.

"You guys clean up good," I complimented them and Rogue returned the compliment.

"Heyyyy, don't be getting all too nice with my woman," Sting joked around.

"Wouldn't think of it," Rogue said. "I'm going to see Gajeel."

"Ohhh! Good idea! Natsu-san is probably with him too!"

It was quite warming to see Sting in such a happy mood rather than his egotistic self. We walked over to where Gajeel was where Sting was offering Natsu a drink... only Natsu wasn't there. That was weird, Natsu would normally stand out wherever he went, even if he was just eating or standing. Settling for a drink with Gajeel, Sting made a toast with him to signify a friendship between Sabertooth and Fairy Tail. I was really happy to see these two great guilds become friends rather than enemies. As soon as the glasses clinked, Yukino, Mira, and Lucy were coincidentally passing by making it awkward for the former-Sabertooth member.

"I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have come!" Yukino attempted to excuse herself.

"Yuki-chan!" I called after her, but Sting stepped forward.

"Wait!" Yukino stopped, but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you would be here."

She wasn't saying anything else and still had her hands gripping on her gown as if she still wanted to continue walking away. But when Sting mentioned that Gemma and Minerva left the guild, she turned around shocked.

"We've... we've been harsh to you, but... I want to rebuild this guild to cherish the members."

I was proud of Sting. He was really learned that a guild focused on physical strength rather than the bonds isn't really giving the member the full experience of being in one. I softly smiled at him, and I could tell it was really hard of him to say something he never thought he would say. I held his hand to give him some relief, but Yukino is still quite taken back. Sting suppose that it was too much of him to ask for her return ever since that Sabertooth had ruined her interpretation of a guild from Gemma. But at least he apologized and realized a true meaning of a guild.

From the wake of the situation, a drunk Kagura decided that she and Mermaid Hell would take Yukino into their guild. But then Erza butted in saying that Yukino should be in Fairy Tail. Then all the other guilds present in the ball came to Yukino to recruit her into theirs. It even went as far as the guild Masters fighting for the little Celestial Spirit Mage. The entire castle was being destroyed. Guilds were fighting each other again, even Sting went in for some action. I went toward Yukino who was crying, but because she was happy. I gave her a nice hug and her smile just became so contagious.

But before everyone could collapse the castle altogether, it was announced that the King would be coming to greet us from the balcony. Everybody immediately went still and quiet as they awaited for the presence of His Majesty. However, the shadow that was approaching wasn't a short man... but-

"ALL OF YOU! BE AT EASEE, PEASANTSS!" Natsu emerged from the shadows with the crown in his head and looking as royal as ever like a King. I don't know how he pulled this off, but this was a new embarrassment to Fairy Tail. But he looked like he was having the time of his life, after all, he was the one that defeated Future Rogue and destroyed the gates to return the dragons back to their time. We all began to laugh and cheer as we continued on with the ball. It was really nice to be appreciate for the sacrifices and risks we made. It also made everyone grateful for the things that we have and we should continue on living to our fullest. It felt great to be alive.

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><p><strong>The chapter is slightly shorter than usual... but thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed that! Remember to leave anything you have in mind! I can't promise that I can make everyone happy with whatever I make this story turn to next, but I hope you still stick around for the future chapters!<strong>


	18. Chapter 18: Hunting

**Welcome back to the next chapter of the series! Thank you all so much that reviewed, favorited, and followed the series! Also, thank you very much to those that inputted their suggestions and requests, I will definitely try to embed as much as possible! I am deeply sorry for the extremely long wait! I hope you enjoy as much as you did in the past! Thank you!  
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><p><em>"If the world keeps rejecting me, then I have no choice but to deny it."<em>

_"Clarion accepts you. She always had. Hasn't she become your world?"_

_"More or less, but... even she is a member of the world that cannot accept me."_

_Time after time, he has seen the last of eras and the beginnings of a new chapter for the world. Although history has always been created, there was never a time when solutions were made to the problem that have been repeated by humanity. The way of life is not for humans to experience the same hardships that have been made through the mistakes of mankind. If the world were to be reborn, then perhaps a new brand of life would be accomplished. There is no hope left for humans to develop a way to live in harmony and peace. So the only possible future for them... is not for having war after war after war... having to go through the same process... but to have...  
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_"A one-sided annihilation, it will be my gift to the world that only see me as a curse no matter how much I care for the lives of entities that carry life. No one can no longer live."_

_"Fairy Tail will stop you and it will be only you that gets annihilated." _

_His lips curved up into a soft smile after hearing her say that. He was happy she said that vow with such a promising tone that he can almost trust her that her word is true. His only wish is to die and his dying wish is for the beloved lives of people to go through harmony and peace. He tilted his head downward to look at the ground and started to frown._

_"Thank you," he told her. _

_"What is there to thank me for?"_

_"Showing me the value of love."_

_"I should be thanking you for that then. You were the one that never left my side, even after my death. Zeref, I am dead. And yet, you are still here," her eyes began to moisten and soon enough, streams of salty tears became dripping down from her eyes to her cheeks. "You always watched over my daughter... and my daughter's daughter-"_

_"She is the only thing I have left to pride and joy...," he admitted. "She is the closest living thing I have... to you. Mavis, I am sorry."  
><em>

_"First being thankful, now being apologetic?"_

_"I couldn't protect her... because of my work, she was taken away from you. I killed her Mavis, and it breaks me down knowing that you can't see it in your heart to hate me. I am keeping you here... in the physical world. You are not alive, you are a dead spirit that should be crossing over to the spirit world for the ones that have passed. Beings like you should not be wandering around here, you should be with your little one. And-"_

_"I told you. I will not leave my guild, my family, and I will not leave you. When we are both dead, we can cross over together. So we can be like we once were."_

_The final battle is drawing near. The oldest man alive with the biggest will to die to atone for his sins will soon die, one way or another. Either through his single death, or the deaths of everyone, he will die and he can be with her again. Everyone he loves will be together with their loved ones. He would be with his beloved and his pride and joy will be with the people he had taken away from her. The world will recreate itself into a better place where people can reincarnate into a peaceful world. The vision is his last resort._

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><p>I was the type of person that likes to pack light. We weren't going to be in Crocus for that long, so a few changes of clothes and a few essentials was all I needed. Everything else was provided one way or another. So, while everyone was packing up their stuff (especially Erza) I decided to stop by Sabertooth. I don't really know how Sting and I would end up being in different guilds, in different towns and all. We'd probably communicate often through a communication lacrima, but that physical contact would be limited. I don't really mind, to be honest. I understand why we have to be so distant physically, but I'm not sure how to think what Sting would feel about it.<p>

Many members greeted me when I walked through the luxurious doors of Crocus Gardens and they already know who I came for, so they showed me to Sting's room. I walked in and I see him and Lector getting ready to leave soon. His head shot up and I heard him sniff the air, and he turned around to see me.

"Dragon Slayers and their sense of smell, I swear," I commented on his canine-like scent. I would probably never be able to sneak up on him or surprise him. "Going back soon?"

"Yeah, what about you?"

"Soon, we're all leaving at the same time so we can arrive in Magnolia together," I told him. There was approximately another hour left til my train stop leaves. The train is practically booked, so many of the other members decided to find their own way to travel back. I don't know what is it about me and trains.

"When are we going to see you again, Claire-kun?" Lector asked.

"I don't know," Lector frowned and looked down, visibly disappointed at getting the answer he didn't want to hear. I felt sorry, but there wasn't much for me to do. I leaned against the door and pouted at Lector. "As soon as I get back, I have to immediately find some work to get money. I don't have much Jewels to my name, and I also actually need to find a place of my own. I hope it won't take long, but as soon as I'm settled in, I'll frequently visit you guys."

"I wish Claire-kun would join Sabertooth," he said.

"You know I can't do that," I picked him up and made him look at me. I tilted my head to the side a little and smiled at him. "I'll keep in touch, don't worry. Just stay out of trouble and be nice to Frosch. Make sure to tell your Sting-kun he's stupid if he is being an idiot for me, kay?"

"Hey!"

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><p>We had a good laugh to lift up the depressing mood in the air. I told them that I'll be right back as I walked a few more doors down to find the other end of the group, Rogue and Frosch. His door was slightly open, so I slightly tapped the wall before opening it up more. An open door would suggest welcoming guests. Frosch was happen to see me and jumped down from the bed and adorably ran over to me with his nubby arms open for a lift. It was nice seeing the two together happily reunited after everything that happened.<p>

"It is good to see you recovered a lot," Rogue said, still sitting on the edge of his bed. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to say goodbye," it was hard saying that without making it seem like it was forever. "The games are over, so everyone is returning back to our respective guilds. Its sad to say that I have to go back with Fairy Tail, but I'll definitely try to visit you guys."

"Ah... that's right, I almost forgot. Well, Fairy Tail should be able to take care of you."

"Heh? What's that suppose to mean?" I gave him a look and his lips curved into a soft giggle. It was the first time hearing Rogue laugh and it felt so warming. Sure he smiled once or twice, but a laugh is another thing. I sighed and put Frosch on the bed, petting his froggy head. "Well, see you later guys."

Frosch looked like he was almost going to cry, but he didn't. The last thing I wanted to see from everyone was a sad face. It really shouldn't be that much of a big deal, they all understand that I have my own guild to be with. Despite that, I did spend a lot of time with them and they were almost like my second family. If I wanted to be funny, I would've said that they were like my in-laws since I was with Sting... but thinking about something like that just made me blush. But...

_"... your fiance..."_

Stupid Rogue... oh, uh- Stupid Future Rogue, he just had to spoil, I don't know, my future! Geez, how am I suppose to be around Sting like we always were without feeling weird that he is suppose to be my fiance 7 years from now... huh, that is a really long time, are we really going to be together for that long? And Sting? A guy like Sting to settle down? Okay, I didn't really want to insult my... boyfriend, but I didn't want to be hopelessly romantic about this fact.

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><p><strong>Few Days Later...<strong>

Fairy Tail was bustling with work as ever before. With the headquarters rebuilt in gratitude of the entire town, the guild was in perfect shape to accept requests and work for all around the country. Everyone was scrambling around, coming in and out, or just chilling in the main hall. The publicity given by winning the Grand Magic Games has increased the reputation around here. There have even been requests for certain Mages to accomplish a certain task. Natsu and Gray have especially been a popular pair to request. I have heard from Mira that there have been a lot of requests for me after getting the attention of defeating Sabertooth's strong bi- Mage. However, Makarov ordered me to stay at a low key because of the nature of my Magic. He does not want me to attract the eyes of any Dark Mages and such.

"So, when am I getting a lift on this ban? I have to work sometime y'know," I said to Makarov as I was sitting on a bar stool next to him. He didn't say a word to me, but only smiled as he returned his gaze back on the rowdy guild. I was only joking with him, so I curved up my lips as well. I've been living at the Fairy Hills that have also been rebuilt, but they have been taking of my expenses while staying there.

"Master!" Mirajane came walking toward us with a small stack of papers bound together in her hands. She handed over a single sheet of paper. "We have an emergency request."

"Natsu! Gray! They're requesting you two again!" Makarov said as he swayed the paper in the air. To avoid the two complaining about their match-making, Makarov returned to examine the rest of the request's content. His carefree tone quickly became serious, almost to the point where he was sweating in fear. Natsu and Gray wanted to reject the request, but Makarov had them force to take the request... and warned them not to fail. The guild became in shock when Makarov gave them this almost threat-like command. Perhaps, he was the kind of Master that understood that some jobs don't go as planned.

"Why so serious?" I asked him.

"The request is from Walrot Seeken, he is rank 4 of the Ten Wizard Saints, one of the four Ishgal Gods," he revealed, leaving the guild to be even more in shock to have receive such a high-end request. Many of us questioned why such a noble Mage had to ask a guild to take on the dirty work. If he was such a well rounded Mage himself to have that title, why insist hiring Mages?

"So... another job I have to skip out on?" I commented with a sly smirk on my face, expecting the same old answer.

"Actually, Clarion..."

"Master?"

"This may be a good first job for you to take on," I turned my head when hearing him say that. At first I seemed reluctant because this would technically be my first job as a Mage. Sure, I did some stealth "missions" for Grimoire Heart back then, but it felt good to serve Fairy Tail. Even Mirajane agreed with me on this, questioning whether or not this would be a good idea. But Makarov said that it was fine for me to go.

* * *

><p>"A job eh? Well, its about time!"<p>

"Oh, shut up," I said as I took a rather large gulp of my coffee. Sting had finished his jobs for the day, he was also rather busy with requests. He even mentioned to me that there have been some requests specifically for him and I to be paired up, but it overlapped with a lot of his jobs so we couldn't do anything anyways. It was quite late at night so there was not any point of any of us taking a train to visit each other when Sting is always booked. Lacrima communication was quite helpful for talking with a distance. This kind of lacrima crystal had capabilities of projecting our upper bodies while we spoke. Even though we couldn't physically touch each other, it was nice to see faces. "I wonder what it would've be like... Makarov doesn't check up on me..."

"Are you going to be alright?," he asked. "Who else went on the job? Is Natsu-san going as well?"

"Oh yeah, Natsu, Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Lucy are coming along too. We''re suppose to meet one of the Ten Wizard Saints so it should be something quite big for getting a request from someone like him."

"Wow, that a girl," he gave a big smile, but also seemed nervous. He probably knew that this job won't be easy to handle. But, he knows how much I've been wanting to go on one because I wanted to do something for the guild. "Well... just not 'a girl' but '_my_ girl'."

"Stupid Sting...," I sighed looking down with my eyes closed and head nodding side to side. My face felt a little warm, but when it cooled down, I raised my head back up. "What was your first job like?"

"Eh? My first job? Hmm...," Sting thought about it for awhile. "I can't really remember, but I think it was something simple like just odd jobs. Most Mages have their first jobs rather simple. So, you better be careful because your request seems something that could be challenging for a six-man team."

"Yeah, I guess so, but don't worry. I'll head off for now, talk to you soon?"

"Yeah," he said with a soft smile. "Hey."

"What?" he stopped me before I could deactivate the communication.

"Be safe, love ya," he said really quickly and disconnected the talk before I could say anything back. I got a little annoyed at first, but Sting should know that I... love him too? I shook off the feeling, I didn't want to think too much about it. Would Sting want me to try to say those three words back? Maybe I'll ask him after I return from the job. Besides, just saying 'I love you' is not worth as much as how we love. Hearing him say it was nice though, and I easily drifted off to sleep feeling a little warm and my lips slightly curved up.

* * *

><p>The next day had beautiful weather. It was like a perfect day for a walk rather than a job. The breeze the subtle, the sun was gentle, and the journey to the home of Walrot Seeken, the one that made the request, made us feel like we weren't meeting someone so high and powerful like him. Well... it would be nice if it wasn't for Natsu and Gray constantly bickering about nonsense.<p>

"So, do you think you're ready to take on this job? Erza asked me.

"I'll give it everything I got and more," I said with a confidence smile.

His home was finally in sight. It looked very modest for someone with a status of being an Ishgal God, but that made me kind of like him for that. The door was unlocked so we tried to be polite by introducing ourselves when we walked through the door. We saw a man with his back turned to us, he didn't more for a second, but then hushed us.

"Be quiet," he said with a harsh tone as he poured a stream of water over a pot of leaves. "Plants like silence. You would know that if you kept that annoying mouth shut."

We all got quite nervous, to the point where we had sweat trickle down our necks.

"Pff-" he turned around. "It's just a joke you know! Plants love the human voice!"

He started to smile, laugh, and spin around like a crazy old man. We all let out sighs from holding our breath under his sick, twisted humor. After hysterically laughing for a good amount of time, he asked for Natsu and Gray. But before they could identify themselves, he picked up Happy and Charle thinking that they were more feline that he imagine... but then again, it was a joke. It was kinda getting on our nerves. He stopped for a moment and looked at me. I didn't know if I had something on my face, but it felt weird. He didn't say anything to me, but continued with his laughing spree..

Afterwards, he led us outside to a table. He told us a bit about himself, how he is trying to restore vegetation to this desert with his Green Magic, and then went straight to the chase about his request. Laying out a book in front of us, he read to us about a village that worships an ever burning flame as its own deity. He revealed this such a village is now in a frozen state, including the flame. It was quite difficult to believe at the thought of a frozen flame, but he seemed serious enough. He wanted us to get to the bottom of it, because the people of that village are still alive.

Erza questioned that wouldn't someone as powerful as Walrot be able to handle this sort of situation. However, he admitted that he was not almighty as his title would suggest. He told us that everyone has something their suited for and not suited for. In that case, that is why we have friends and guilds for. We gladly accepted his request and gave us a lift to the village utilizing his Green Magic. He spouted a gigantic stalk that lifted us away in no time.

After climbing off, our first priority was checking out the village. Landing our feet on the ground already made us notice that the town was definitely frozen. We picked at the ground and there was no way we could crack the ice at all. The town looked very rural old-school-like... was it the wrong time to think that the ice made it seem like a beautiful menagerie?

"Well the town's frozen... what about its inhabitants?" we noted. We looked around some more and Natsu suddenly looked up. We looked up as well to see an enourmous figure: a giant. We were almost panicking, the gigantic size was quite overwhelming for us.

"HUUGGEEEEE!"

But they were indeed frozen, and Walrot did say they were still alive. Natsu immediately tried to melt the ice with his fire to no prevail. It was Gray's turn to examine it, but he can instantly tell that whatever Magic this person used to freeze everything was nothing he came across. Diffusing the ice wouldn't be easy, even if it was Gray's specialty. I heard a foot step echoing from behind us. I turned around, which got the attention from the rest of the team to look in the same direction. There were three guys looking over us from afar.

"Oh dear," a guy with a headband said.

"It's just women and kids," the guy next to him said. That kind of perked my ears, I never liked anyone looking down on us, especially when they're just calling us kids and... women. The last guy had a big nose and made some noise, I don't know. They didn't look like anyone that Walrot would send over to help us. Their facial expressions say otherwise.

"Who are you guys?" Erza asked.

"We're a guild of treasure hunters. Slyph Labyrinth. Duun," they took turns saying. Treasure hunters, huh? Those guys didn't seem that much of a threat to me, just a bunch of idiots with fancy weapons. They intended to take advantage of the frozen town in order to do their business. I don't get why they keep calling themselves treasure hunters when they're just thieves, way to make them feel better about their occupation. "Sorry, but the treasure here is ours. Don't get in our way."

"Treasure?" Natsu repeated.

"Who cares about that," Gray responded.

"Aren't you here for the eternal flame?!" they yelled in shock. They were almost outraged at the fact they we didn't have an intention to steal. These guys... "Then what are Mages here for?!"

"We came to melt the ice and save the villagers!" Happy proudly stated. The three guys huddled together and yelled back at us since that was getting in their way. We had no time to deal with them.

"Well no shit we are," I retorted back at them, but the guy just went on to explain that the eternal flame is an S-Class item for them to take. And when everyone is frozen up, it is the perfect time to swoop in. "The flame is frozen too, you idiots."

"Heh, don't underestimate our super treasure hunting skills," one said.

"With this super treasure, "Moon Drip," we can super melt the ice," the other held a little bottle in his hands. Moon drip. I read about that type of Magic before. Apparently, it is a powerful entity that has the ability to melt even the most powerful of frozen states. Hades taught us about it because a lot of Zeref's demons couldn't be defeated or destroyed so sealing or freezing techniques were used to prevent them from creating more damage and disaster. And these guys claim that they have this sort of Magic in a liquidized form. They wanted to use it to melt the town's precious treasure for their taking, but we intend to use it to unfreeze everything. It made me skeptical to think that a small vile of that would unfreeze everything, but who knows, maybe just a little can go a long way.

We started to chase after them, telling them that the Moon Drip could melt all the giants. Of course, they wouldn't agree to that only thinking about their own selfish intentions. In no time we were on the outskirts of town, and Erza stayed behind in the town to look for more clues. I suppose it wasn't a bad idea for someone to still continue with the investigation, these guys were more of a distraction that I thought. Two of them turned around and the other kept running, I guess they got fed up with us.

"Treasure hunting is a dangerous job, dunn!" the guy with the big nose said.

"We have it dangerous too," Natsu said as we stopped into a ready position. "If its a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

"Duun," he responded back suddenly with a giant fist or something on a stick, I don't know. It was hammered down right in front of Natsu, scaring him shitless I bet. He tried to attack with his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, but the fist actually had a function as a hand. It quickly opened out his hand which was enough to block the flames and the punch altogether. It switched positions again into the fist, and sent Natsu flying into some rocks behind him. Gray faced the other guy, but even he was able to evade his attacks and almost managed to slash through all of us with one go of his sword thing. Before I could respond with my own piece of Magic, Wendy dove over to Lucy so they could both dodge an oncoming attack. Right next to my foot was a boom and an mini explosion came from it, causing part of the ground to be pierced by the impact.

"A gun?" I stepped away from the shot site.

"From where?!" Happy yelled out, looking over his surrounding area.

"A sniper?!" Charle pointed out, also looking around her side.

"Oh," that sniper said. His voice was echoing through the trees and terrain that we couldn't pin point where he was exactly. He was smarter than he looked. "But next time, I'll just aim to shoot your head."

I tried listening in on that last sentence. Wherever it was heard the loudest should be where he would be, would it? I don't know, it was just a theory. I turned a little to the side to where I thought the voice was the loudest and aimed for a possible hiding spot. There were a lot of trees and leaves that he could be anywhere, but I had to fight back somehow.

"Tch... Black God's Azrael," I softly said under my breath. A small shadow appear on the ground and started to travel through the vegetation. This move takes awhile to get to it's target, but its stealthy and quiet. I manipulated it to get to where I thought he would be. In order for this attack to take shape, the little shadow will have to curve around and trace out a circle. When I controlled it to do so, almost instantaneously, a fair sized pillar jutted up to the sky and to the ground like Zeref's own Death Pillar. However, when nothing happened but destroy a part of a tree another bullet came straight at me, but I managed to tumble over to the side. My heart was just pounding and sweat trickled down my face from that experience.

This was definitely something... surprisingly enough, the stupid hunters were capable of keeping their ground against Mages. I had to admit that they were skilled enough, but I always have to hold back when dealing with enemies. That won't be enough to get to them, but I can't go all out with my nature of Magic, even with Sting's White Magic to help balance it out, I didn't want to risk it, even toward an enemy. I hated that.

"Open! Door of the Archer: Sagittarius!" Lucy swiped down and summoned her Celestial Spirit, sort of gave me a hard time looking at that cause of the mirror to Devil Spirit Magic. This was a good match to go against the sniper because that was his own specialty. Wendy had a good nose and was able to locate the trail of the gunpowder to the actual location. Sagittarius shot at the location, but the sniper guy just managed to shoot down all the arrows that targeting him.

... this was getting troublesome.

* * *

><p><strong>Merry Christmas everybody! Thank you again for being so patient with me! Hopefully the series starts picking up again, but I am getting inspiration again LOL! I hope I don't have to resort to filler chapters, but if you don't mind- feel free to leave a suggestion! Again, happy holidays to you and your loved ones! Be safe out there!<strong>


	19. Chapter 19: Rising Underworld

**I am so sorry for the long update, been so preoccupied with other things! I also apologize if there has been a lack of Sting and Clarion action (not really sure if you guys are reading this for the love or the series plot?) Sting needs more screen time! And I probably sound like a broken record by now, but you know it when I say thank you to everyone! All the reviews, favoriting, following, and what not really does make me happy! I hope you enjoy the next installment of the serious- oh gawd, who knows when this would end? X_X**

* * *

><p>"You're amazing even though you don't use Magic," Natsu was humble enough to compliment our enemy.<p>

They kept gloating about how they were the most powerful guild in the treasure hunting community, but I could only laugh at that. They were also dealing with the most powerful Mage guild after all. During their bragging moment, Gray managed to snatch away the Moon Drip vile only to their horror. Well, to our amusement, we were able to play monkey in the middle whilst dodging all their efforts to attack us. It was kind of fun messing with them, until... I heard a crack. I looked behind me to see that Happy missed the bottle. The treasure hunters started to cry since they apparently put so much effort into getting it (probably stealing it anyways). The rest of our team just examined how it worked, but when we realize that the liquid only melted a spec of the ice. We were all disappointed, but Natsu went up to the crack and pressed his ear close to it. He suddenly makes a break for it, going deeper into the village with the treasure hunters of Slyph Labyrinth right after him.

"Oi, Natsu!" I yelled after him, but he still kept going. If all of us had issues with three of them, then he would have a bigger load on him if it was just him as their target. I ran after the hunters and the rest of the gang follow. It was insane, he was literally running in zig zags, but I managed to cut a corner to reach him and lose the hunters, but also losing the rest of the team in the process. But as I caught up to Natsu, in front of him was a abnormally large person.

"Is he with those other guys?"

"I don't think so," I whispered back to him. "But, he's definitely not on our side..."

He spread his arms out, and we were suddenly blinded by light that was emitted. When I opened my eyes, I turned over to Natsu that started to scream. But he wasn't there, but.. when I looked down, there he was. He was transformed into a child.

"Why haven't you succumbed to the law of regression?" he sounded annoyed, but also curious. Apparently, there hasn't been anyone that was immuned to this ability. I wasn't so sure myself, but something there was something about this guy that made me feel like I've encountered him before. I looked at him closely, I don't think he's human, he looked too abnormal to be one, even if he was a Mage. If he's not human... he could be a demon. And if he's a demon... then most likely he's from...

So... he is one of his creations? Is that it? I've always knew that Zeref gave me this necklace to protect me from his work, but this is one of the first encounters I've had with it in effect. I didn't take a lot of time to ponder about this, I had to since he wouldn't be able to defend himself alone. I dove in for a quick kick to his neck, but he didn't budge, he was study alright. He wasn't even trying to fight back, but to examine me. What's making me so different from the rest of them is probably something he was thinking.

He attempted to throw a full on punch at me, but I only stood with one hand out. Natsu yelled at me to move, but it only felt like a feather.

"You can't hurt me," I told him. "Your Magic and physical capabilities are negated."

Even after I said that, he still tried to harm me in every way that he could think of. But as I was thinking about starting to use my Black God Slaying Magic, he seemed like he was throwing another punch at me, but he grabbed me by the neck, not choking me, instead and elevated me off the ground. It wasn't a physical attack which made the necklace not be able to keep me from being subdued. I tried to pry open his grip, but it wasn't working, he was physically stronger than me. If I'm not being harmed, then I'm on my own.

"Clarion!" Natsu yelled and tried giving his own set of punches to the guy, but he was weak himself. The demon used his free hand to return the attack with Natsu barely dodging because he was still trying to adapt to his new body. He became fed up and tried giving him a taste of his own Magic, but he could only whip up a little puff of fire. Natsu still kept going, only to get punched in the face and rolled away.

"Natsu!" I yelled after him to see if he was okay, but he didn't respond. He looked okay, just dizzy from the rolling.

"That," he said as he noticed a shine glisten in his eyes. My necklace was peeking out and he grabbed it, ripping it away from the twine, and throwing me into the wall of a nearby building. I watched in horror as he dropped it on the ground and smashed it. He lifted his gigantic fist up, and I saw that it was cracked, but still attached together. Slowly, I fell into his Magic and also became a young figure. He started to laugh at my misery, but that only made me want to defeat him even more.

I stood up, he was still smiling as he looked down upon my short stature, and I held my hand out to him. He told me again that using Magic won't work on him. Being in this state doesn't mean we're young again, reverting back to how we were when we were small. According to him, our abilities and mindset is still left in our older bodies, which means adjusting to this new body would be impossible for the most experienced of Mages. But... I only smirked at that idea.  
>"Adaptation," I said as he gave me a questioning look. "Is what he taught me."<p>

I let out a blast of Magic, it was white, just like it use to be. It wasn't as powerful because, to some extent, the regression sucked away power, but it was enough, I did feel like a lot of Magic was just depleted, but I was still able to keep going. He backed up a little and tried to throw a punch at me. Being small made it easier to dodge, as I ducked and ran under him to pick up the cracked necklace. Turning around, he tried to punch me again, but I was able to move to the side and bite his knuckle. The surge of pain lifted his hand up, he was growing furious and surprised at my profound ability to adjust to a new body.

Zeref taught me a lot, but always emphasized the importance of knowing how to adapt and adjust to every condition that hits you. Whenever you're in danger, its not going to be the same situation everything. There's going to be different people, or no people, different status ailments, and so on. To be able to survive, you have to understand and know how to go through all these things. Whatever is happening to you, think what you are, and you'll figure out how to get through it. I've been turned into a child, but my mind is of a young adult. To be able to function, I need to think like a child, move like a child, and defend myself like a child.

"What are you...," he said as he winced in pain, gripping his throbbing hand. "How dare you underestimate my power..."

"Clarion... how are you able to move like that?" Natsu groggily said, but was still awed at my profound ability to retain my fighting capacity.

"His child," I told him quietly for Natsu not to hear, only for the weird guy to be confused at my answer. "I should thank you. Allowing me to be in this state brings back precious memories. But then again, you broke the last thing I had left of it."

Despite how pumped I was to defeating this guy, I know that I couldn't give it all I got which is how I want to do it. But if I don't defeat him somehow, then we might as well be children forever. Even so, he may be the enemy, but he is not our priority. I don't even think he is the key to finding out why the town is frozen or whether or not he knows the way to melted the ice away. I looked over to Natsu who winked at me.

"OH MY GOD! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?!" he suddenly yelled, causing the both of us to look up at the direction he was pointing. I didn't see anything and I looked over to Natsu that was making a run for it. I saw his idea, and I found it rather funny how he could fall for such an old prank. I ran for it as well, but in the other direction.

After running for some time, I ran in between an alley, which was probably just a crack in the wall according to the giants. Even running for a short amount of time easily tired me out as I was breathing heavily to all that exercise. I opened my hand to see the whatever was left of the necklace that I was gripping tightly this entire time. I felt so terrible just looking at it. I've taken care of it so well for 12 years or so. It has always protected me and now that it's cracked, it won't give me that advantage over Zeref's demons. I sighed, I figured that I couldn't rely on such a charm my entire life. But now that his creations are getting closer and closer, it would definitely been something I could've used.

Being in a childish state, I started crying my eyes out. Again, being in this form brought out good memories, but it also brings up memories to why those moments ended. I also thought about my devils, and how they always took care of me after Zeref left, but I had lost them too. I lifted my head up to wipe my tears away, I noticed that my hand was bigger. I reverted back to my regular body, it was about time. I slapped my cheeks together to snap me out of my pathetic whimpering and I was back on my feet. I had to go find the others, its best to regroup and address the situation to figure out a different game plan. With so many shit interfering, its going to be difficult to think of ways to save the village.

"Black God's Osiris," a familiar black, slithery, form of Black Magic appeared as I stepped ontop of it and tried getting an aerial view of the village. From there I saw a large creature, a demon. Another one? No.. this is probably the true form of that guy from before. But before I could go over there to address the situation, I heard a yell echoing across the sky and I was turned into a child again. Osiris disappeared, causing me to fall through it and headed toward a big impact.

Elsewhere, Erza and Minerva had also turned into children. That demon couldn't careless about allies or enemies anymore. Everyone was victim to the child effect.

"What is the meaning of this?! Has Doriate gone insane?!"

"I-," Erza saw a little sparkle in the sky causing her to look up. I was just screaming to myself, the speed of the fall causing tears to roll out of my eyes. "Clarion?"

"What?" Young Minerbitch said as she turned her head to look up. Only to get a face full of me falling right at her. The hit broke my fall, but we both ended up tumbling over and getting tangled in each other's clothes, body, hair, and what not. We unraveled ourselves and realized who each other. With a small pause, we immediately began to fight like children, with a slap fight.

"H-Hey! Stop it you two!" Erza tried to command us to break up the fight, but with her child-like figure, we didn't really see anyone as a figure of authority and we kept going at it. Soon enough, both our hands started to get quite numb, especially when the ice made it colder than usual. Erza, slightly annoyed at how she had to baby us, separated us and we sat on each side of her.

"She started it," I said.

"Me?!" an anger mark grew on the back of her head. She turned over to me only to be blocked by Erza. "You were the one that fell onto me!"

"Well, who's fault is it that turned us into children and revert our Magic?" I gave her a not so amusing look.

"It's not my fault that Doriate has become completely irrational!"

"Doriate?" I repeated back to her.

"Yes, he's the one that turned all of us into children," Minerva explained.

"So.. he's your partner," I assumed and she confirmed that I was correct. "Your partner, your responsibility, your fault."

"WHAT?!-," Minerva exploded, standing up from our "time out" positions. "WHY YOU LITTLE-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Erza finally had enough of our bickering. She sat Minerva back down, we were all in no condition to fight (at least physically with Magic). Erza continued to scold Minerva, something about joining a Dark Guild. Well we were all kind of wondering why she went into hiding anyways, I guess that was the reason why. I wonder where Gemma, her father, was anyways. He was reported to be in hiding as well, but it appears he is not with her, or maybe he was assigned another job. Or I don't know whatever. Suddenly, our bodies began to turn to normal and we were in our actual bodies now. Minerva immediately took this opportunity to attack us, only for me to block it.

I looked over to the distance and noticed something glowing on top of a mountain. Erza told me that was the location where all the giants where looking at and assumed that was where the eternal flame should be. I understood and quickly went over to that location. I had no doubt that Erza could handle Minerva, at least until we are able to restore the town. Even she wouldn't be able to handle an army of giants.

The closer I got to the site, the less I saw of that glowing. It took no time to get there, but when I landed, everyone was there. But when I looked over, I saw Gray on his knees and another woman yelling at the disappearance. It was Flare, I recognize, but I didn't feel like making a scene about it. I noticed she didn't have the Raven Tail insignia anymore, she was probably not our enemy in this case. But whatever, everyone seemed to be content with her presence, so I suppose they already came to terms with her. More importantly, was the missing flame.

"What happened?" I asked Lucy who was also in disbelief about the flame.

"Gray figured out a way to change the properties of the ice and melt it from there, but when he tried, the flame wasn't there at all."

"I-It's my fault," Gray shivered as he said that. We tried to assure him that wasn't the case, that perhaps the fire burning was already gone before he managed to get rid of it. But even if we say that, that would only give us false hope. It looked really bad right now, that eternal flame was the thing we were trying to restore because that was the only thing that can revive the village. Right as we were loosing hope, Wendy stepped forward to it.

"No! The flame isn't gone!" she yelled. She still felt a presence, that something was still alive. We looked closer at the altar of the flame, and saw just a small spec of fire that was burning. Our hopes restored and we were pumped to get the fire going. The first person to come to mind was Natsu, I wondered where he was. I saw Lucy turn around yelling at Natsu. I looked behind me as well and noticed a gigantic bird thing in the air.

"THE HELL IS THAT?!" I yelled as I couldn't believe I didn't notice that when coming over here. However, Natsu was too busy scrambling with it to answer and everyone else was too caught up with dealing with it. It suddenly let out a beam of some sort and it was almost going to hit us or the giants. Natsu was flung back and the bird was still in the air.

"Black God's Bellow!" I called upon the spell. A swirl of Black Magic emerged from my lungs, hitting part of the wing of that beast and letting it get distracted while Natsu propels himself forward and into the winged demon. It landed right on the altar, causing so much debris to surround it. We were all struggling to stand where we were and Natsu just kept going at the thing. Fire, fire, and more fire was shooting right out from Natsu, practically to the point where we all thought he was going overboard. I really thought that if he kept going, the eternal flame will be lost and be left with Natsu's own dragon flame. After one final attack, we all heard a voice. Apparently the voice Natsu heard from before...

Out came from the site, was a dragon, but not just any dragon. This was Atlas Flame, one of the dragons that emerged from the Eclipse Gate. He was the guardian of an eternal flame that the beings of this town worshipped. It puzzling getting around to why or how he could've still be in this time when all dragons went back 400 years. Then again, dragons do have that high of a lifespan, but as we questioned him further, he wasn't alive at all. It was Wendy using one of her secret arts, Milky Way, which allows her to project souls, especially dragons. However, we couldn't get much information about the town because of the ice jumbling his memories.

"What happened? Please... please tell us...," Flare begged. Looking closer at her new guild crest, it wasn't actually a symbol for a guild, but for this village. The 'Sun Village' was her home that brought her that 'sunset' hair of hers. I see why she was here now. Atlas tried his best to remember and managed to recall that just one man successfully managed to freeze the entire village. But it wasn't no ordinary man, it was a Devil Slayer. The sound of that gave me chills running down my spine. None of us even heard of such a Magic, but perhaps that is what everyone said when they heard of a Black God Slayer. This perked up my curiosity even more though. I wanted to know more of this Magic, but there wasn't any leads to how we could ever see this person again. We were all getting quite shocked how such a Magic could exist and how powerful it would be when it could freeze an entire population of giants... "PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!"

Flare was right on her knees and bowing over to Atlas sounding like she was tearing up. She wanted her guardian to restore the village somehow, someway. Atlas suddenly remembered his status as the guardian of the village. Using the last of his and Wendy's strength to keep him manifested, he channeled the power he had left to restore the village and melt the ice encasing them. Whilst doing all of this, he turned to Natsu and said that he could remember Igneel. He turned to me and said that he could remember Zeref. Lastly, he said that he could also remember Acnologia... that Igneel tried to defeat the most vile form of Magic from the book of Zeref called E.N.D. Natsu was shocked to hear this information and I turned to him with one of the most guilty looks I had. It was Zeref that probably caused Igneel to disappear, and perhaps, the rest of the Dragons that seemed to vanish. Whether they're alive or not, I still felt terrible. My devils never really me a lot about Zeref, but there was still a little bit of information that may or may not be any help.

The giants, now back into animation, greeted us and celebrated our success at restoring the village. They laughed at our size, but not in a mocking way. Back on the ground, the rest of us were pondering and coming up with theories to the presence of the Ice Devil Slayer in the first place. Lucy thought that perhaps the Devil Slayer mistaken Atlas a devil and attacked, however, Gray doesn't seem to think so. During his own encounter with Doriate, he said that the demon warned him aout the gates of the underworld opening up. Erza then remembers that there was still a Dark Guild of the Balam Alliance undefeated, Tartarus.

They suddenly looked at me.

"What are you looking at me for?" I had my hands up as if I was surrendering to their gaze.

"Well, you were in Grimoire Heart, one third of the Balam Alliance," Gray stated. Sometimes I found it weird that they still remember, when I completely forgotten about my own former affiliation. "Maybe you know something about Tartarus."

"Even if I use to be in Grimoire Heart, Tartarus were still quite mysterious and were hardly even active, at least to my knowledge. But-"

"Well, anyway, we finished our job!" Natsu said before I could say anymore. Happy was also being very cheery with them. They were always so carefree about things, even when we were probably over thinking something. I suppose this was something we were thinking too much of that wasn't really our problem. We went along with Natsu's outlook on the situation and continued partying along with the enormous giants as well as helping Flare reunite with her home. The next morning we were set off to return to Walrot and confirm our success with restoring the giant's village.

* * *

><p>"WAHAHAHAHHA!" Again with that laugh of his... "How nice, how nice! I knew sending you guys was the right decision!"<p>

We all thanked him and assured him that it was no sweat. We notified Walrot that it was the dark guild, Tartarus, that was involved with the ice. He didn't seemed phased or anything and told us to let the counsel investigate that. I suppose that is true since legal guilds cannot go after dark guilds. The next line of business was our reward for accomplishing our task. Walrot turned around and had something round in his hand. It was a potato. We were all pretty tired of his jokes by now.

Before we knew it, it was already nightfall. Walrot introduced us to a spring location where we could relax in. When us girls got there, we were quite amazed at the sight. It felt even more amazing taking a dip in the water. It instantly felt rejuvenating and our stress seemed to be washing away. It was really nice. Wendy even felt sorry for the boys because they didn't get to have this kind of treatment.

But then we heard their voices, they were literally right across the way from us.

It surprised us seeing Natsu and Gray already in the bath and we were all getting uncomfortable, well Erza was just being too comfortable. Then it surprised us even more when Walrot came out to the baths as well and said that it was unisex. WELL SHIT THEN. I guess it couldn't be helped, at least I was in a towel, but I don't know how Sting would feel about this. Just the thought of it sort of made me feel uneasy, but Sting is an understanding person, I hope. Just to be on the safe side, I kept my distance away from the guys, which Lucy and Wendy also did. But noticing something from Walrot, he had a Fairy Tail crest on his forearm, where my own crest was located.

He revealed to be one of the founding members of Fairy Tail, alongside with Mavis-dono. So, that's why he was staring at me early. If he was close to Mavis-dono back in the day, he would probably have noticed my relationship with her based on how similar I looked like her. The rest of the gang soon made the connection as well as they also have known the similarities I had with the first Master and no wonder why Makarov seemed so anxious about this request.

"...," I didn't really know what to say at this. Its logical that Mavis-dono didn't solely founded a guild, but it took me by surprise that those people would still be alive. Anyone is capable of living such a long life, but this was just spectacular to me. "Mister-"

"Just call me Uncle, Clarion," he gave me a smile as he said that in the most soothing voice ever. I wasn't use to having any family around me, but considering how close Walrot must've been to Mavis-dono and stayed loyal all this time, was probably close enough to being like a relative. He could be some sort of god-great-grandfather or something like that. But I was almost brought to tears dripping down my face.

"Th-Thsis is probably off-topic, but...," I took a deep breath. I almost felt myself trembling. "Do you know anything about a child from Mavis-dono?"

"Clarion...," I heard Erza softly say at the sound of me asking this question. I knew my parents died in that demon attack... I mean... there was no one left. I was too young, I can barely remember their faces, or even any memories. There's no way I would have the courage to ask Mavis-dono herself, I wasn't even aware that Hades was the second Master, and Makarov... I doubt he would know anything. To be honest, I don't even know whether or not Mavis-dono had a son or daughter. Either way, I'm the last blood from the Vermillion side, but I was curious about the other side of my family through marriage. Perhpas, Walrot would know? He sighed, not the response I was hoping for.

"Alas," he said. "Even Mavis was secretive about her personal life."

"Oh... well-"

"Just kidding," he burst out laughing and we all nearly wanted to drown ourselves in this spring water. "The only thing I know about Mavis' child was that she gave her away to a foster family. I do not know the reason why she would do such a thing, but... hurting her daughter, and her daughter's daughter, would be the very last thing she would ever intend to do. Perhaps with her growing reputation, many enemies would surface and threaten great harm to her loved ones. That is my only plausible theory that I can come up with."

"Daughter...," I repeated after him at least I know I should be looking for my paternal side of the family, however, I always grew up with the surname 'Vermillion' before changing it to cover up my origins. "Uncle, was I illegitimate?"

"...," he paused for quite awhile. "I believe so, Mavis was so dedicated to her guild that she never married. After Mavis gave her daughter away, none of us were able to track her down no matter how much we wanted to watch over her. So, if you were hoping to find the whereabouts of your father's side of the family, I cannot help you with that. I'm sorry."

"No," I quickly said to him while wiping one tear from my eye. "No, no... thank you. Thank you for always being close to Fairy Tail after all these years."

"Hey, don't worry," Natsu said. "We can go search for our dads together."

"To have met you young fairies, it just really makes me skip a heart beat," Walrot said with a soft smile and his eyes closed. "The peace that Mavis sings about... Fairy Tail, a guild with bonds between the souls of Mages which are even thicker than blood. Mavis once said..."

_The word "friends" isn't just simply a word_  
><em>The guild mates, the family, the companionship are all about love<em>  
><em>It is the unconditional trust you have in each other<em>  
><em>She would always encourage us...<br>__To feel free to lean on her, as she will do the same_

_There will be times when we suffer and be sad  
>She would be with us through the good and bad<br>We would never feel alone  
>The amount of hope we have mirror the number of stars in the sky<br>The wind blowing on our skin tells us what lies ahead  
>With that, we allow ourselves to walk forward<br>And listen to the song of fairies  
><em>

Hearing the words coming from Mavis-dono, just really hits all of our hearts. We represented to new generation of Fairy Tail that the founders always envisioned and accomplished. I could never imagine how Uncle would feel literally seeing the future of his guild right before his eyes. It was an amazing feeling to be in the presence of someone that has been a fairy this entire time. With that realization, Natsu thought that maybe Walrot would know a thing or two about E.N.D. because of his wisdom. However, he did not know anything about it. Although, when we mentioned Tartarus... he remembered a few things. Even though that no one really knows about the origins, members, headquarters, or even their size, some people claim to witness some of their meeting in which it was a gathering to worship demons. So, it could be true that they might have a book of Zeref in their possession.

* * *

><p>Back home, we were all reporting our findings to the rest of the guild. For me, Erza and I agreed that it'd be best to report to Sabertooth that their former member was working for a dark guild.<p>

"The Lady in a dark guild?" Sting said. It still kinda bothered me how he still called her Lady despite her betrayl, but I suppose it was just a habit since she was that kind of figure in their guild before Sting became Master, I was really happy for him. I can't really imagine having a Master be a boyfriend, since you're usually use to seeing the old guys have that title. Occasionally I hear comments how young and handsome Sting was for a Master, I can't say I get jealous, I just kinda laugh at hearing those things. But I suppose it would be natural that Sting would get even more popular with the ladies... but he has me... so... yeah... heh. "We still haven't had any contact with her, but I'll be sure to report this."

"Thanks," I said to him through lacrima communication. "Any word on Gemma?"

"Not at all, but we're keeping our eyes out," he told me. He seemed to take his job really seriously, which made me happy to see since he is usually carefree. "Oh, Yukino is out on a job, but she told me to say hi to you the next time we spoke."

My smile quickly brightened up to hear that Yukino forgave Sabertooth and rejoined. Sting told me that Yukino never felt happier to be in a guild which made me so proud of him. I guess this could be one thing I love about him, that I would probably never admit to him, but his dedication and willingness to change is really admirable. I told him to tell Yukino hello as well and hoped that she is doing well, but not without telling Sting to take care of her which he promised to do so along with the rest of Sabertooth.

"So, I take it that the job went well for your first?" he said slouching over and resting his chin on his hand. "That's my girl."

"Pfft, I told you I got this," I pouted at him. He started to laugh, but when he opened his eyes, he gave me a questioning look. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Where's your necklace?" he suddenly asked me. I didn't know that Sting noticed that I always wore Zeref's necklace, even when I have it tucked underneath my shirt or whatever. I didn't really like to think back at the event with Doriate and how it broke, but I suppose Sting deserved to know. "Did something happen to it?"

"It... kinda broke on the job," he frowned and almost looked apologetic for asking. "I don't think it can get fixed, but I leave it at home for safe keeping. I don't want it to get damaged any more since I'm probably going to be on more and more jobs."

"Poor babe, you want me to come over and cheer you up?" he winked at me. I saw what he was trying to do. He always acted like an idiot to lighten up the mood. Before I could respond, I over heard the crowd researching up E.N.D. and figured I should be in on the discussion.

"Alright, I need to go, love ya," and I quickly closed off the communication, like what Sting did last time we talked. I was kind of blushing after hearing myself say that. I tried cooling off my face while walking over to the crowd around Levy that had a book opened up. The book didn't have anything about E.N.D. except for a little paragraph. It stated that E.N.D. is actually a demon from a book of Zeref, one of the most powerful. Since Tartarus is thought to have a book in their possession, it would be quite troublesome to have to deal with them when they are starting to make their move. We all had our inputs and possible theories about what the mystery behind the demons. Once topic lead to another and we were just talking about everything at this point. We had no information to do any action about this, we were all stuck.

I leaned against the wall and took a big sigh, looking up at the ceiling.

_Zeref... what is going on with the world you plagued with your sins?_

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><p><strong>Phew! Another chapter down and... many more to come! Thank you again for reading! HEARTS AND LOVE TO EVERYONE!<strong>


	20. Chapter 20: Story of the Devil

**Hello guys! Thanks for stopping by to read the next chapter! Again, I apologize for the delay! This chapter is more like... a "filler" chapter so read at your own discretion, and the next installment will go directly into the story again! I hope you enjoy this anyways! Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and what not! Don't forget to review too, it doesn't have to be a critique, just a "hey i like this" is enough to keep me inspired!**

**S2**

* * *

><p>With no leads to pursue Tartaros, Fairy Tail was left going on with our own business. I suppose we should listen to Uncle and let the council take care of the Dark Guilds, since we're technically not allowed to go after them ourselves. Even so, I do believe that Fairy Tail has a tendency to break a lot of rules, or at least go out of our way to handle things. But, whatever, we didn't have a reason to go after them... at least Fairy Tail doesn't. If E.N.D. had something to do with Zeref, perhaps learning about it would help me get closer to him. He should still be wandering around Earthland, somewhere, and maybe Tartaros would be the next step in finding him.<p>

"No, snap out of it," I thought to myself as I was slapping the sides of the my head. I shouldn't be tempted to look further into this or I'll end up getting Fairy Tail involved or something. I know we're all family, but its difficult tackling on problems on your own because that is just how this guild runs... we will all help each other no matter what. But... even if Zeref caused some of the pain to other members, I have something more personal with him.

_"Lucifer...?" I said walking along a dirt road. There was no one to be seen or heard from making it seem like a ghost town. Lucifer was in his usual formal, professional attire with his hand out for me to hold as we take a stroll._

_"What is it, little one?" Lucifer responded without looking down at me._

_"I miss Zeref," I admitted to him as I gripped his hand tighter. With the mind of a ** year-old and experiencing the loss of another parent, teas of sorrow naturally came dripping down my pink cheeks._

_"Be strong, Claire-chan," he let go of my hand, started patting my head, and held me in closer into a hug. "It was for a reason, you'll understand in the future."_

I opened my eyes, I was thinking back again. I found my hand in a fist and resting on my chest where the necklace use to be. It made me sad again thinking about how empty my neck felt, and even more depressing when I looked at my nightstand across the room. My locks in the same position as I left it joined by Zeref's cracked necklace. They were nothing but trinkets with no use to me at all, except to think about the past. I needed fresh air, staying in this room felt like the walls were caving in.

* * *

><p>Walking along the street of Magnolia surely calmed things down. It was nice outside and it seemed like most of the guild was taking advantage of the weather. I did bump into a few members and just greeted them since I usually see them at the guild anyways. It was definitely a good time to get some coffee. Find a cafe in Magnolia wasn't difficult, I just went into the nearest one I got to. There was outdoor seating which I took my big mug of espresso and milk outside to enjoy the sounds of people walking and talking. I took little sips at a time to make sure I enjoyed my time nicely. I closed my eyes for a big and tried thinking of happy thoughts. And all I could think of were the times Sting and I spent together, even if I didn't think of him like that back then... I did realize that those moments were him meant a lot to me. It has been awhile since I've had affection like that before... hell, I never really felt like that toward another human being in general. I leaned forward on the table with my elbows resting down. I slowly peeked an eye out and saw a pink dot at the corner of my eye. Opening my eyes wider, and wiping my eyes through the focus, it had to be him.<p>

Since I already paid for the latte, I just gulped the rest of it and jumped over the little fence the cafe had around its seating. I ran toward the pink dot which was at the little mini park across the way.

"What are you doing here?" I said as I stood over the little pink ball.

"Claire-kun!"

It was Frosch in his usual pink frog costume. He was by myself, which was odd, and standing in front of a map. I figure he was lost or something and was trying to find his way back to Sabertooth. I figure it would be a good day to visit everyone, so I scooped him up in my arms and Frosch climbed up to the top of my head. I looked to the side and noticed... four familiar figures hiding in the bushes. I didn't know what was going on, but I guess I wasn't suppose to see them.

"Uhm... Claire-kun?" Frosch patted my head to get my attention. I moved my head up a little to signal that I heard him. "I know you probably know the way back, but... it feel like Rogue is cheering Frosch on to get home on his own!"

It almost sounded like Frosch was going to cry. He knows he's lost and he wants to be a big boy to get home. "Well, I've been meaning to visit Sabertooth. I'll keep you company. But you'll be in charge, Fro. Lead the way and I'll follow ya. I know you can do it Frosch."

"Frosch thinks so too!"

"Ah... ah...," Frosch softly said beginning to look down. I crouched to my knees to get closer to his level and I noticed that he was crying. I quickly got worried and picked up Frosch from under his arms. I held him out to my eye level so he would look at me and I'd get a better look. He was crying even harder now and I gave him a soft, sympathetic look. "Y-You se-see... Fro... always... gets l-lost like this... an-and-"

"Frosch wants to get back home by himself?" I completed his question to my assumption. I tilted my head slightly at him.

"Fro thinks so too...," he responded, choking on the tears and slowly nodding his froggy head. I smiled at him being really proud that he wants to be independent. He suddenly got out of his saddened state and start flailing his arms out. I was confused at this random change of emotion (he's not bipolar right?) and tried looking behind to see if there was something there. There was a butterfly. "Look, Claire-kun! A butterfly! So pretty!"

"Frosch...," I said to him, slightly giggling under my breath. He looked at me and I lifted a brow to see if he'd remember, but he seemed like he didn't know what I was trying to get at. "Rememeber what you were doing?"

"... Wha?"

"You were trying to get back home, remember?" I laughed a little bit at this cuteness. Yeesh, no wonder Frosch gets so easily lost. I got Frosch to his senses again and allowed him to hop on my head for him to rest on. From now on, wherever Frosch wants to go, I'll go too without helping him (oh my, please save me).

"She may be smiling... but she's really crying inside," Lector said behind the bushes

"Wow, she looks great," Sting commented from the sidelines ignoring what Lector just said, with a smile on his face, proud of his completely awesome girlfriend.

"Clarion-sama really is," Yukino agreed with her new guild Master. With smiles on both their faces, they turned to Rogue who was uncontrollabling crying his eyes out and clutching his hands to hold in the emotion. The silver-haired Celestial Mage was quite shocked at seeing her combat superior break down like this.

"O-Oi Rogue!" Sting called out to his partner, holding one of his shoulders to shake him out of it. "What's wrong?! You okay?"

"Y-Yeah!" Rogue reassured everyone. Lector, on the other hand, didn't seem to buy it. Rogue wiped his tears and gave a loud sniff. "I-I'm just s-so grateful th-that Clarion would h-help Fr-Frosch! I-It is really moving! I-If Sting did-didn't hav-"

Bam, grows a bump and a magically appearing bandaid.

"Sting-sama!" Yukino yelled, holding her hands to her face.

"What about Clarion?!" Sting yelled even louder and held the collar of the Shadow Dragon Slayer. The tears were flowing down even more as Rogue apologized and took back what he said, claiming that the situation is just getting him moody. Sting shoved him aside and let it go as he knows his friend wouldn't betray him like that- they continued to follow Frosch and I to who knows where.

As Frosch took me to a direction, I just started walking straight. I was pretty sure Frosch didn't know where we were going and he was hoping to just bump into something that would catch his eye. Next thing you know, Erza was spotted walking by to which Frosch directed me to approach her, nothing too bad, hopefully Erza had the time to talk to us. I explained the situation to Erza to which she smiled. Frosch asked for directions to the guild where she pointed to the appropriate direction. To be honest, I wasn't in Magnolia long enough to know around the streets and such, and we were in a location where I wasn't so familiar with... but at least when we get to Sabertooth, I would know my way back. Frosch sure wandered far from home, but it wasn't so bad. Sabertooth and Fairy Tail were actually not far from each other, I'd just get lazy to walk and take the train- which takes you several stops before reaching the stop closest to the building.

As we walked further and further, I started recognizing more of the buildings... then it got to the point where I kinda knew our exaction location and... let's just say we weren't close to Sabertooth but-

"Look! We're at-," Frosch said pointing toward the building in front of us. "Fairy Tail!"

Apparently when Frosch asked Erza for directions to the guild, he didn't specify which guild. She would then proceed to give us directions to Fairy Tail instead of Sabertooth, since I didn't exactly say that Frosch was lost and wanted to get to Sabertooth... I sort of just said he was lost thats it and did not really mention the destination at all. BUT, at least now Frosch accepted my help and we were in the direction toward Sabertooth this time. I knew Sting and the rest of the gang were still on our tail, and on our tail the entire time. Frosch decided to walk on his own this time by my side. I looked behind me and saw everyone try to hide again, and I just looked at Sting and smiled.

"Oh? Clarion?" Rufus was the first to greet, everyone at Sabertooth pretty much know who I was. I said hi to him while holding Frosch in my arms as he got tired of walking on the way here. "I do remember you saying you'd visit."

"Yeah, sorry it took awhile," Rufus noticed how I had Frosch in my hands instead of him being with his usual Shadow Dragon Slayer partner. I petted the little frog to comfort him since he was still kinda bummed out how he couldn't get his way home completely on his own. "I couldn't help but take Frosch home while he was lost. Where's... Rogue? I bet he'd be happy to see-"

"FROOOOOOOOSSSSSSCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHH~!"

It just felt like I got tackled or something, it happened so fast. Frosch was suddenly out of my arms and everything was spinning in a vertigo motion. And next thing I knew, I couldn't breathe. I was underwater or something. It took my mind awhile to realize that I had to breathe soon or I'll end up suffocating. I quickly wailed my legs and arms and floated to the surface to let out a large gasp of air. It was a pool. Sabertooth had a pool? I looked around me, trying to get a sense of what the hell just happened and how I ended up here. Right in front of my was a crying Rogue hugging onto his little Exceed so very tightly as if they hadn't seen each other for years. If it wasn't for this touching scene, I wouldn't wailed on someone by now. Now it came to the sense of drying off. I suddenly remembered that I was wearing a WHITE dress shirt. I tried to cover up and get Yukino to help me or something before someone starts to notice my top was being see through.

"I got you, babe," I heard Sting's voice. He reached over to grab my arm while my other arm was covering my chest. I started to blush really brightly and started to scold Sting for being stupid, as usual, but he wouldn't listen. He lifted me up, took off his fur vest he usually wore, and draped it around my shoulders. It was over-sized on me, so I was able to cover up quite easily. I mumbled a thanks to him, not giving him eye contact. He gave me a kiss on the head and walked me out of the guild building, in the direction of his place. Quite nostalgic if you ask me.

"... sorry about your-," I tried apologizing for soaking up his vest and kinda leaving a puddle on the front step, but he shrugged it off before I could even finish.

"Even if it was just a dip, I can smell the pool water on you," he bluntly said to me. I pouted at him. "You reek."

"Hmph, wasn't it me that always said that to you?" I reminded him of the times when we first got to know each other. He laughed at me and he had the first nicest smile I've seen since I saw him today. "And it wasn't a dip! You saw didn't you? Rogue couldn't contain himself and just shoved me into the pool while reuniting with Frosch, yeesh."

"Ha, I would've done something to him," he told me as he sat down on the couch. "But~ I ought a thank him for getting my girlfriend to look pretty hot in a see through shirt."

Infuriated with his remark, I kicked him upward at his chin. He winced a bit at the pain, but he definitely saw that coming. I stormed off to the shower to wash down the chlorine off my body before I start smelling like a fish in or out of water... and that wouldn't be good around Happy. His place hasn't really changed much since the last time I was here crashing at his place. My clothes were all soaked with the pool water, so I decided to strip down the clothes and squeeze out most of the water over the shower drain. It took awhile, but after squeezing out my shirt last, I left it hanging over the hook that was at the door. I turned on the showers and let the nice hot water rain down on me. I lost track of time, but I wasn't in any rush to leave or anything. I stepped out of the showers and borrowed a towel to dry my body off of the trickles of water that was stuck to my skin. The relaxation calmed me down a bit, and I wasn't mad at Sting anymore. I toweled dried my hair as much as possible, but my hair was quite thick. Good thing my hair was short enough so it didn't take so long. I realized that I forgot to grab a change of clothes before entering the shower. I sighed.

"Hey, can I get something to wear?" I knocked through the bathroom door, but there was no answer. Sting might have stepped out I guess, we did leave Lector at the guild, he could have gone to get him. I waited for a bit, but I was growing impatient. I didn't want to stay in the bathroom for who knows how long. Sting not answering must mean that he's not in, so walking out shouldn't be a problem. I sighed and wrapped my body with a towel. It wasn't a big towel, so I had to constantly grip the towel or it would effortlessly come off. I opened the door and completely got disappointed at the sight.

On the couch was Sting wearing a t-shirt and simple basketball looking shorts taking a nap. I noticed a few bottles of alcohol lying around and I could see a blush across his face. This stupid idiot. I stepped closer to look at that smug face he had while dozing off and just scoffed at it. This guy, I swear. Drinking is fine at the right place and right time, but what excuse did he had today. What? We haven't seen each other in awhile and I'd expect him to at least... try to be romantic? Was I expecting too much from a guy like him? Perhaps, I was. I sighed again and just decided to walk into his bedroom and grab something myself.

"Wait," Sting said softly and he grabbed my wrist. I was getting kind of nervous because I didn't want Sting to see me wearing just a towel. He had his head down, but started to lift it up so I slipped my wrist away from him and kicked him in the face. Using the distraction, I ran to his room and managed to put on some clothes. He was making these weird noises, probably cause he took a kick to the chin. I peeked out from the door and noticed him slouching over the couch holding up his face. Sting saw me and gave me a disgruntled face, I probably got him mad. "Your usual punches or slaps... I can take... Your kicks are another."

"Sorry," I apologized to him because I really did feel bad. I guess I didn't realize that my leg strength was stronger than my arms, which surprised me since I usually had a tendency to punch things more often. Who knows. "Are you okay?"

"Eh...," he suddenly grabbed me into an embrace. He pushed himself away from me so he could lay on his back, causing him to pull me forward on top of him while he was still holding me. "Now, I'm okay."

"H-Hey!" I started blushing like mad because of the position we were in. I tried to get off of him, but he wouldn't let go of me. On the inside, I kinda... liked being in this position, otherwise I would've went ham by now. I sighed and gave in, resting my head on his chest. I figure I could stay here for awhile before going back to Magnolia... I felt his hand gently petting my head. I lifted myself up a little and Sting planted a kiss. "Stupid Sting..."

"But you can't get enough of me," he smirked back. His little sense of humor never failed to make me laugh under my breath. He made me feel safe and happy. I guess that's why I always got charmed by his stupidity. I didn't really have anything to say to him back, so I just went back to hugging him back. He kept kissing the sides of my head as the smell of alcohol was going away. It was quiet for awhile, until. "I really missed you."

Before I could say anything back his grip on me became tighter. I was kind of speechless at this point and I only responded by holding me tighter as well. I felt really happy, like nothing else mattered in the world. I'm where I want to be in life, mostly. I don't exactly remembered what happened next, but we fell asleep.

* * *

><p>"Sting... Sting...," it was early in the afternoon and I was trying to wake this sleepy head. Just now, I received a message in my head. It was Warren, the "telepathy" Mage in the guild and through that, he gave a word to every member of Fairy Tail that an emergency happened.<p>

_"Hello? Hello? Clarion?"_

_"Ngh... huh..?" I heard a voice in my head, and instantly woke up. I get groggy whenever I get woken up prematurely, which made me didn't even realize that Sting and I fell asleep last night. I sort of blushed at how we actually slept on the same bed together, but I had to address this random voice talking to me._

_"O-Oh, sorry! Did I wake you up? ... you know it's the afternoon, Clarion."_

_"W-What? O-Oh, Warren," it took me awhile to recognize his voice since he and I never really talked one-on-one that often. I got curious to why he was contacting with me. At first I thought it was cause I didn't spend the night at Fairy Hills and I didn't inform Mira of any jobs I would be taking. "Don't worry about it. What's up?"_

_"Sorry, sorry. But I am contacting every member of Fairy Tail to inform them that the Raijinshu and Laxus' lives are in danger."_

_"Wait... what?" Despite how dangerous some Fairy Tail members take on their job, never have I heard about anyone's lives be in danger. Sure, they get beat up a lot, but nothing that would make an all out emergency like this. "Are they okay?"_

_"I... don't know, Master just ordered me to inform everyone. Please return to the guild building, we really need everyone's support during this time. I have to go contact the other members that are out of town. Thanks, Clarion."_

_"No, thanks for telling me, Warren."_

"Sting...," I shook him for like the 100th time that my patience was running thin. "WAKE UP!"

I kicked off the bed which finally woke me up. Took him awhile to get off his but, but realized the serious face of my look and how fast I was rushing to wash up and change out of his clothes. I really didn't have time to feel modest at this point. Sting and I are a couple, I don't need to feel reserved around changing in front of him- not like I was naked or anything. He kind of blushed because of the suddenness, but I know this isn't like the first time he's seen a girl half-naked in front of him. I was about to rush out, but he grabbed me before I could unlock the door.

"Woah, woah, hey," he grabbed me in an embrace from behind, slightly picking me up off the ground. "What's the rush?"

"It's the guild, I don't know. Something went wrong on a job or something and Laxus and the others are hanging onto their lives right now. I have to go," I was still trying to squeeze out of Sting's grasp. But as I was done saying that, he slowly led me down. I quickly opened the door and was prepared to run out, but I realized that Sting didn't say a word to me. I turned my heard back, and Sting had the most depressed look on his face. "... what's... wrong?"

"It was just that... when you came over," he sighed. "I was really happy and excited to spend time with you. But you're always... leaving and it leaves me disappointed. Do I matter to you at all, Clarion?"

"What are you saying...? Of course you mean a lot to me. I'm sorry that things have just been... coming up and being hectic and... I did want to spend this time with you cause I felt guilty for all the times that I haven't been there and stuff, but I really didn't anticipate this to happen," I took a deep breath as well. "Sting, I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."

"Just... go," he turned his back on me and waved out his hand. "I get it, its an emergency. I don't want to hold you back to people that need you more than I do. See you later."

"Why... are you saying it like that?"

"What are you still doing here? One second you couldn't wait to leave me, go," he said in a stern voice. It was the kind of tone that just my heart drop everytime he said another word. "Clarion, I won't tell you again."

"...," out of impulsive, I ran to him and hugged him from behind. I held him tightly, almost to the point where I wanted to cry. "I-"

"Clarion, let me go."

"H-Huh?" now that hurt. Here I am, initiating the most affection I've ever shown him, at least in awhile. And he wants me to let go? Did I hear that right?

"Clarion, we don't have time for each other," he said to me, still with his back turned. "It hurts me everytime I see you go. I feel like shit. I need someone that can be there for me to show me love. Sometimes, I don't even think you feel the same way. I just..."

"... I love you, Sting," I let go of my grasp. His back shifted and was about to turn around, but I didn't want him to see me. I did have to go, so I ran out before he could look or say anything to me. He had a soft look on his face. It suddenly felt empty. Was our future not meant to be? What about what future Rogue told me? Did all of that change history? I don't know. I admit I hadn't been the girlfriend that I should've been... and would never believe that breaking up would be the answer to that. Just a lot of things came up... just... I'm just giving excuses... I don't know anymore. But I'm happy that at least... he heard me say I love him.

_"That girl...," Sting said as he returned to his room. After all of that, he too felt like something was missing from his life. He had the need, the urge to hold something in his arms. Being the one held from behind made him feel this way, he wanted to know that feeling. But he realized he didn't have anyone to hold. He grabbed a pillow from his bed, it was the one that his then-girlfriend was sleeping on. It felt cold. He did know that she wasn't always there when he missed him, which was pretty much all the time. But right now, he realized that now she was never going to be there when he misses her. And he missed her more than ever. "Shit..."_

_He was really feeling it now. The feeling where you lost someone you loved. She was amazing, he thought. Many girls he has dealt with was always fussy, prissy, and never really made him feel the way he felt toward Clarion. She was modest, humble, and most of all forgiving- which is why he loved her. Even after he was such a dick to her during the games, she still forgave him and understood. Maybe he understood her a little better, maybe he didn't have react so erratically and end it so impulsively. She loved him, and he loved her... that is all that should have mattered. He really did feel like he deserved to be called stupid Sting. He let out a big dragon roar (without the Magic of course) and went to the bathroom. He needed to calm down a bit, he will definitely try getting her back. He can definitely win her back. Sting took off his shirt to get ready for a shower and felt something moist. He turned his shirt around to find little wet marks on the back of his shirt. She was crying._

* * *

><p>As expected, when I entered through the doors of Fairy Tail, there was a huge crowd around the infirmary section of the building. Some members noticed me arriving and allowed me to squeeze through everyone to give the guys my condolences and show my support that I'm there for them- ... like how I wasn't for Sting. I shook my head out from the thought. I have to be strong, for me and for everyone.<p>

Even though I wasn't in the room itself, I could see them on their beds. They looked miserable. Suffering from the pain, sweating trickling from the struggle, and fighting to keep their will to live. It was heart breaking to see them in this state, especially since this was a sort of situation where none of us can't do a thing to ease the pain. We were all being brought closer together. When one or us, or some of us, gets put in this kind of state, we all feel the impact of it. This wasn't some sort of kid picking a fight with us, this meant war. No ones gonna think they can get away with this. They don't know who they're dealing with.

"Tartaros," I heard Makarov say. I looked down at him as he if was reading my mind. Then again, I'm sure everyone wondered who would do such a thing. "They are the ones responsible for this. Whoever did this to them, also killed an entire town."

We had to protect everyone close to us and everyone that doesn't deserve this. Tartaros won't just stop from here. It reminded me that their leader is said to be the writer of the book of demons, which only points to one person at this time, Zeref. I felt partially responsible for this and I still feel sickened that I still have faith in him. I believe that he is not that kind of man anymore, maybe it is some other Zeref wannabe or disciple, I don't know. But whatever it is, there is the high possibility that he has some connection to it. But, I had to do something about it, I was raised by him and his creations. I balled my hands into fists, something that Makarov noticed after leaving the room. He looked at me, and noticed that I was angry.

"Do you have something to share with us, Clarion?"

My eyes widened... he knew. He knew all this time. My mouth became dry, and he still stared at me with those serious eyes of him. He wanted me to say it and everyone around me slowly turned their gaze on me. I was being pressured, but I had no other choice. I was keeping something from them, something about me, that could possibly change their view on me, but I couldn't keep this in any longer, especially when Fairy Tail was getting closer and closer to my origins. I suppose I rather have them hear it from me than from one of them.

"Black God Slaying Magic...," I said looking at the ground. "There wasn't a Magic lacrima implanted into me like Laxus with Dragon Slaying Magic, I didn't teach myself from a book like Shelia with Sky God Slaying Magic, I wasn't taught this from a follower of Black Magic like Hades teaching Fire God Slaying Magic to Zancrow... I wasn't taught by a follower, I was taught by _the_ Black Mage."

"You don't mean...," I heard a few mumbles though out the surrounding crowd.

"A very few people know of my existence because Mavis-dono gave up her daughter and I lost my mother. Many heard of me as just a rumor, but those are true. Word got out and spread that Zeref had a child, this 'devil's child'. Though, he is not my father, he was my mentor, my savior. Zeref taught me this Magic to slay Black Gods," I said boldly with my head raising straight up. I had the look of determination. I had a new goal, a new resolve. It wasn't to give back to Zeref anymore, it wasn't to find my biological family, it is to eliminate everything and anything that threatens the family I have now. This is my battle. I will eliminate those Black Gods of Tartaros."

Whether or not they still wanted me in the guild in the first place, but no matter what I will risk anything to support Fairy Tail. I kept something important from them that would disgust other people. Zeref was a horrible man that did horrible things. A lot of his work had caused tremendous trauma and scars onto many Fairy Tail members, and I wouldn't hesitate to accept his responsibility. I saw the looks of Gray, he looked down thinking of Deliora that took away his town and his beloved teacher. Erza as well, she was taken from her village and was turned into a slave from followers of Zeref. Even I had to admit the damage he has done transcends generations and those scars left behind would never heal.

"We're right with you," Natsu said confidently. I looked to the side to see him stepping forward cracking his knuckle, preparing for the fight. He also had that same, the look of Fairy Tail's will. He was always the one that accepted anyone and everyone for their past. He would never turn away from a guild mate and he won't step down now. "I'm fired up."

"No matter how you look at it," Erza spoke up. "You are one of us, you have the founding blood in you: the Fairy Tail spirit."

"Yeah, we'll need your help. To have a Magic like yours on our side, that gives us another advantage," Gray added in his own comments. I couldn't help but smile at how much Fairy Tail was so understanding and so willing to give people chances. They truly are the warmest guild anyone could be in to look for a family-oriented family. We may be recognized by our strength, but the bond we have with each other is something worth more.

* * *

><p>Our next order of business was to determine their targets. Since they even targeted Yajima, a former member of the council, and we heard of news that they murdered the current members, they are probably going after everyone. The only issue was that their addresses was kept secret in order to prevent any hostilities after they stepped down from the rank. Well, that wasn't a problem when Loke summoned himself and revealed that he had addresses to them (I'm not even going to ask). We wasted no time. Many members stayed behind to help with locating addresses of the other many ex-counselors. The rest split off into teams to protect the targeted. There were too many former council members and we had to request other guilds to help aid in the protection, which they didn't hesitate to help in. We were fighting for the fate of Fiore, and perhaps, the world.<p>

Each team had two to four members in it. Juvia and Gray were paired together. Juvia was S-Class in her former guild, and Gray had the potential, along with their complimentary Magic attributes. Lisanna and Elfman were the other two-man team. Sure, they had the same Magic, not necessarily compliments, more like opposites. They were significantly less powerful than the other teams given their number, so I decided to team up with them. It was nice being with some members that I wasn't the most familiar with. We got to know each other on the way to the ex-counsel member Yuri's home. There was a lack of a struggle in his home or outside. It was dead silence, very eerie if you ask me.

"There!" Elfman said as he spotted a body laying on the ground in the middle of the room. It was rather big with a large bookcase next to it. We followed after Elfman as he checked for old man Yuri's pulse and breathing. I was hoping for a lucky turn of events of relief, but there was no sign of that. Elfman shook his head and we were disappointed at our late arrival. "Damn... he's not breathing anymore..."

"No way...," Lisanna became worrisome. It was creepy being in the same room as a dead body, especially a fresh one. Elfman told Lisanna to prepare the communication lacrima that was given to every team to let everyone know that Tartarus claimed another victim. Despite how weird it felt, I took a step closer to Elfman who was holding the man's body up. I examined his face, very wrinkly but he looked so peaceful.

"I wonder how he died though...," I said to Elfman. He agreed with me and pointed out that he had no external wounds or anything. "That's scary... someone being able to kill from the inside or something..."

"Yeah, it-," Yuri's eyes suddenly shot open. That shit scared the crap out of both of us as we stepped back. My heart was beating so fast and I was starting to shiver a bit. With his eyes still open wide, his hand was moving, trying to point to something. It suddenly moved again like a robot and his finger pointed at Lisanna. Suddenly, the communication lacrima shattered. You could already tell something bad was going to happen. Someone was here. I suddenly felt a presence behind me and I turned around to see a young woman.

"It appears that utilizing Macro on the dead does not work quite as well," the woman spoke, causing the Strauss siblings to turn around in the same direction. She had a modest look on her face that made her seem not so dangerous... but that isn't the case with this. It is almost 100% that this is the person that murdered Yuri. She is a demon... a demon from Tartaros. We all got into a focused state, we couldn't let our guard down. This woman is the enemy.

"Who are you?!" Elfman questioned aggressively.

"What did you do to Yuri?!" Lisanna did the same.

"I helped him reach Hades," she said in a familiar tone. But... the name "Hades" through me off. What did she mean by that name... did it have any connection to the Hades that lead Grimoire Heart? Sure, it was only a nickname or whatever... but what did that mean. Elfman questioned her further with only getting her to respond with, "The stories written by humans are boring... I shall write my own story: the Story of the Demons."

She proceeded to raise from her sitting position, leaving us more prepared to what's to come. We reminded each other of the upcoming danger and we had to be extra cautious around this one. But before we could do anything, I suddenly felt a tight grasp around my neck. The surprise left me questioning what just happened. I couldn't move my neck at all. I tried to slightly turn my head only to see Lisanna being in the same state as we realize that Elfman was holding our necks with his hands. He was a big guy and he can easily grip our necks with his large hands that could easily end us at any moment. The grasp suddenly became tighter and even more painful, we tried our best to break free but it was too strong. We were all panicking at this moment, Elfman had no control over himself and we were caught in it. The strangling was getting more tighter to the point where I could see how hard Elfman was gripping us by seeing the veins that were popping up from his skin. Elfman demanded her to stop this, but he eyes remained closed and calm. She slowly opened her melancholy eyes.

"In the Story of the Demons... there is no such thing as pity," she sullenly stated. "Humans are not allowed to have their greed."

_Greed..._

Lisanna lost consciousness, but I managed to keep an eye open. Elfman was growing desperate and began begging the demon to lift her control on him. This was bad, really bad. We were all really helpless and there was nothing within our reach. The Take-Over Mage's plead caused this demon to sharply open her eyes seriously this time. She stated that whenever a human asks for something from a demon... its exact definition is selling his or her soul to the being of the Underworld. She stepped a little closer, dipping her head down a little in the most serious look I've seen.

"Are you seeing your soul to me?"

"I...," Elfman was close to breaking, but I held onto his hand to make him not say it.

"Your look, your voice, your prescence...," I said through the choking. The process of selling yourself to a demon was similar or the same as to making a contract with a devil or with a spirit. But, this demon, she was so familiar and I didn't know why or how I felt like that. I was reluctant to look her in the eye, not knowing the exant extent to what she was capable of and willing to do, but I had to get a closer look at her to know for sure. She looked directly at me and I saw it, it had to be. I couldn't explain why or how or when.. but I knew, I was certain. "Mammon..."

She didn't flinch or blink. Sure, my Mammon had a figure of a young child rather than this womanly figure of the demon. And the horns were something new too, but I could swear this was just a more womanized version of Mammon. The tone of the voices, the melancholy, emotionless aura they had, the same soft eyes. There had to be a connection.

"That is an ancient name, do not address me by that," she stated, turning her back on me and proceeding to pick out another book from the library. Elfman's grip is still tight and it was getting hard to speak or breathe at all. Sweat was trickling down and my heart was beating loudly, one snap from her and she can force Elfman to crack the necks of Lisanna and I. She suddenly closed the book she had with a loud noise. "The act of reincarnation applies to the superior demons, or the Etherious. The name you speak of has never been used for centuries."

Reincarnation... so this demon has transcended from Mammon. But it hasn't been long since my devils departed from this time period to 400 years ago, I still haven't grasped how they would be able to do that, but wait... the name has not been used for centuries? Does that... does that mean that my 7 Deadly Sins were not even from my time period? I thought, I thought Devils were always immortal. She began to speak again.

"In order for Devils to remain the pure dominant race over any entity on this world, we must adjust and adapt to the ever changing world," those words perked my ears when she said that. Was that why Zeref was so bent on teaching me those perks? "So when Magic evolved and advanced, we must do so as well. We cannot allow mere humans to exterminate us. Especially when our Master had ordered us to annihilate humanity."

"No... no...," I couldn't stand it anymore. "Don't speak like that using Mammon's voice. She was also so kind, so sweet, so quiet."

"The Mammon you speak of is dead and gone, I am her ultimate form as of the present. She was weak and therefore, had to be evolved as well. From what I've learned, our past lives had a contract with a little, weak human. That pathetic human turned them to be emotional beings that pity humans. That trait can only bring them weaker."

"We..ak? P-Pathe.. tic?" I struggled to say, but I still pulled through with it. "They're the most selfless beings that could ever come from the Underworld. They might have became weaker, but they made me stronger."

"And that is how their story ended."

I wanted to act. No matter how much capabilities these two had, going up against a demon is another thing. They are not their sister that can turn into a demon themselves. I had to think of a way for this demon to free them while I can take of her. I don't want to be cocky, but at least I have a Magic that can match theirs maybe. However, it would be difficult to have someone that can control your entire movements, there must be some kind of weakness. This demon seems very interested in stories... calling human stories boring...

"Spare these two," I said to her. "I've made a contract with devils and I can do it again."

She raised her head at me, but still kept that blank look on her face. I couldn't tell whether or not she was interested with what I had to say, but I could feel Elfman's grip slightly loosen. But with one blink, he was crushing our necks and I couldn't even breathe anymore. Everything went black.

* * *

><p>My eyes slowly fluttered open. I felt weak, but I tried to move. But as my vision cleared up and adjusted to the light, I found myself bound. I was positioned upright with my hands together above my head and my legs were also subdued. However, I wasn't in normal chains or shackles... and I was completely... nude... my face started burning up, but no one was in the room. I was isolated in a rather small prison-like room that was meant for the mentally unstable. I was inside a capsule and whatever was keeping my hands and feet together was reptilian-looking and definitely meant to do something other than tie me up as it felt weird being bounded by this. I tried breaking free, but it felt like my power was drained from blacking out earlier. But I was desperately in need to get out before someone sees me.<p>

But too late, the door opened up.

* * *

><p><strong>Phew, there goes another chapter! Don't worry, the StingxOC won't be ending here! Seriously, more Sting time please! The manga has been getting interesting, so please bear with the wait! I apologize again for making you guys always wait, but I can't thank you enough for taking your time to read whenever a chapter comes out! Thank you again for the follows! I hope you enjoyed!<strong>


	21. Chapter 21: Untouched Warfare

**Hello hello! Thank you guys for the favorites and follows yet again! I hope you'll like the next chapter and hopefully you guys won't have to wait so long for the next chapter since I think I can squeeze in another chapter with the current progress in the manga, I really enjoyed writing this and I hope I didn't leave anyone OOC! And I do apologize that Sting and Clarion moments would probably have to hold until the end of the arc, but I'll be sure to add him here and there in future chapters. Thanks again, I hope you enjoy ^^**

* * *

><p>I quickly closed my eyes tightly together. I could hardly even bear the idea that I was bound and nude (this is probably the from the mind of someone with twisted fetish), but to have someone see me helpless like this? The embarrassment could probably kill me alone. I was starting to shiver, the presence of another person made the room feel chilly, or at least that is what I felt. I heard the sound of fabric, and then silence again. I was getting nervous, but then sounds of ripping and tearing were heard. I opened my and eyes and felt like my body was finally becoming free. I dropped down on my feet with pieces of scaled flesh around me. Before I could look around, I noticed that there was a nice set of clothes placed on the ground in front of me. Not sensing any sort of hostility, I quickly took the chance to change.<p>

There was a tight-fitting black pea coat that went down to my upper thigh held together with a black matching belt. It had gold trims on it and golden circles on the sleeves. There was also black pants to go with it along and black boots. I folded up my sleeves to my elbow to reveal it was white underneath. If you ask me, this style was kind of melancholy, but also reminded me of like a feminine, modern take of what Zeref always wore.

"You've grown," the moment I that voice made my heart skip a beat. I turned around, but then the entire room turned inverted in black and white, including myself. My eyes were still free to roam to look around in my own tunnel vision, but my body could not be moved at all. I tried to speak, but my mouth was kept shut. Right in front of me was someone's back. It was hard to depict what it was exactly because of the darkness, but it eventually hit me as the figure moved around to face me. It was him. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Zeref...," I wanted to stay but my mouth would not budge and my voice would not make a sound. It was aggravating me, I wanted to cry. Zeref... are the other members of Tartaros not aware of his presence here? I don't know where I'm at, but I'm assuming its somewhere the dark guild is affiliated to since I'm somewhat of a prisoner. He was the one that probably left me the clothes and allowed me to change without having anyone watch me. Even when he was gone, he was still always there to take care of me when I needed help. My body felt tense, I wanted to yell and scream and cry. This isn't just one of my dreams, isn't it?

"I'm sorry it has taken so long," he apologized and had a slightly saddened look on his face.

"I'm not here to catch up with you, though," I wanted to protest against that. I hated this, I hated being the one that just has to listen. I want to put my input into this, I want to ask him so many question, I want to tell him so many things that I kept to myself for about a decade. I have grown a lot, and I didn't want him just looking at me to tell. He can't just do this. I wanted to break through this barrier he's holding on me. Looking down, I could see my hands tremble very slightly. "Clarion... you're in a lot of danger."

I looked up at him. Despite the zipper he sort of placed on my lips, he still had information that he wished to share with me. This would be good to my advantage since I don't know exactly what I'm up against. I tried to calm down enough so I could be able to listen what he had to say.

"The core of Tartaros, the Nine Demon Gates of the Underworld, as well as the rest of the members are demons from my book, they are on a level far from humans. They do not use Magic, their 'Curses' are what powers them and they plan to wipe out all Magic on this continent. It is a devastating plan all to just meet their creator... but I have no right to play God in this battle and choose the result I want to see. I can only watch and see the outcome. I'm not even suppose to exist right now. I should be gone a long time ago. I'll be watching over you Clarion."

He smiled at me, sighed and began pacing in a circle around my still-less body, only for me to hear the echos of his voice talking about the possible doom the world as come to see. But the Mages on this continent succeeded in preventing the end of the world by dragons, Fairy Tail can do the same against Tartaros. My Black Magic can work on them... right? Maybe once they realize that Zeref and I are connected, they'll change their plans or something. They don't need to destroy the world to get to the writer of the book. They... Mammon... they genuinely love their master and I don't know what happened all these centuries or whatever that turned them to the side of twisted evil... demons are capable of being humane. They may have lost that trait, but the master can definitely stir them up... I am the 'child' of their master, maybe I can do something about this without fighting. There has to be a way.

"I didn't think you would be able to sense the connection, but you were right," he stood still with his back facing me. "Your encounter with Sayla or... the current reincarnation of the sin of greed, was nostalgic wasn't it? I'm happy you truly loved the devils and able to still sense their presence even from a different time period. The souls of those devils are capable of reincarnation and the current lives they are living can all be found within Tartaros, not necessarily within the Nine Demon Gates. Your 7 Deadly Sins were the forms they took 400 years ago. I took them out of their time period because those forms had the most sympathy for humans and I knew they would obey my commands and care for you as much as I did. Despite this, after every reincarnation, the devils become more and more demonic. These demons will reincarnate every new era, however... these new sets of demons were able to manipulate and take advantage of technology and demon Magic to utilize an immortal system. Within their labs, they are able to regenerate their bodies even after they perish... it is such a shame how they toy with death... I shouldn't be the one talking about that... But in this year, no matter what you think Clarion, they are not the loving devils they once were. They are not the same. Please, do not let love be your downfall. I will be rooting for Fairy Tail to allow a new breed of devils be reborn into beings that would value all forms of life."

"I won't lose."

All of his explanations gave me enough time to crack through the binding he had on me. Whatever he utilized was Black Magic related, which was enough for me to be able to pierce through the hold. The room still stayed black and white, but I was finally free from it. As soon as it was released from my feet, I immediately stepped forward and pressed my forehead on his back. I'm not a child anymore, but the feeling of seeing someone you care about, supported you, taught you everything, and someone you love... it is indescribable. He didn't turn around, but I could tell that he was startled that I broke the Magic. Then again... he had to realize that he was the one that taught me the Magic to break against his. I really have grown, and I'm glad that it was enough for me to show it to him.

"I should go now, Clarion," he solemnly said. "I should at least warn you that you are in Tartarus' territory now. Be careful. Goodbye-"

"No wait," I pleaded, holding onto the edge of his sleeve as he tried stepping forward. "Tell me, tell me... who am I? I have so many questions, Zeref. Who is my mother? Who is my father? What is the connection between you and Mavis-dono? Why are you letting Tartaros do this? You're their creator, you-"

"This is your battle with your guild," he simply said without answering the rest of my question. "Some things are better off you finding out for yourself than me giving you all the answers."

"Bullshit, what information do I have at all? I have nothing, I don't know anything!" I started gripping his sleeve tighter. My arm was shaking and my voice was cracking. I don't know who I am, I can only be what I want. All Zeref told me just now were just about my devils. So they weren't immortal like I thought, so I was always a Black God Slayer, so Zeref was never sealed... But what exactly are my origins, I want to know where I came from, who brought me into this world... "I'm sorry... please, I don't know... I don't know anything. No one knows anything... Don't be the only one that can tell me something, but won't... Zeref, I missed you..."

"I was close to you over ten years ago, I will be close to you now," he turned around and placed his hand on my head, his forehead on mine. He had the warmest feeling I've ever felt. It was so touching... I wanted to cry. He still wouldn't tell me anything, I had to be on my own. I still felt alone. No matter how anyone else sees the face of the most evil Mage in the world, in my eyes, the only person I see is my guardian. I snapped out of it, and realized, Zeref was gone, again... why does he keep disappearing like this? I guess he couldn't stay in a location for very long to prevent Tartaros from finding out where he really was. You never know how close people really are to you... remembering ho Zeref said he'l be right next to me, I couldn't help but just look to my side to see nothing but the air. I felt saddened again that he left yet again... but I had to trust him. I am grown up... I've grown a lot, I have to keep growing. The little room was back to normal, nothing black or white. A suddenly jolt of vibrations occurred causing me to get ready for anything. I didn't know what the vibrations meant, but I held against the wall to keep my balance, but the ground stopped shaking in a matter of seconds. I had to move.

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><p>I wasn't sure if it was just me captured, or if anyone else from the guild was in another prison or something. It got me quite worried because these demons are not like the villains in a child's mind... these creatures won't hesitate to kill and if they did anything to anyone- I'd- I wouldn't know how to contain myself. It would be kind of rash of me to just walk out the door without knowing where to go. I pressed my ear against the door to see if anything was happening on the other side. There wasn't anything, but I still wanted to be careful. Being patient with myself, I finally heard some footsteps of maybe three of four people. It got louder and louder and as soon as I heard the steps run past the door I quickly opened the door for a sneak attack.<p>

"Black God's Bellow!" a twisting spiral of Black Magic burst out of my mouth and into the group of what appears to be guards. They swirled away through the wall next to them and the material around them began to slightly deteriorate. Despite holding back cause death was the last thing I wanted to happen, they weren't much of a hassle at all, what a joke for a demon guild's subordinates. The entire group of soldiers were automatically out of it, except one that appears to still be slightly conscious. I quickly took the time to grab him. "Tell me everything you know."

"Ugh... you can't make me say anything!" he retorted back. He was being a stubborn little fellow, so I tried a more convincing tactic. I pushed him up against the wall so he was in an upright position while I was holding his shoulder. He was in no condition to fight back and I lifted my foot to kick him in the groin. He screeched, but I stopped right before I actually crushed his manhood. He was sweating like crazy, and the threat was enough to get him to crack. Guys are so funny. "W-What do you want to k-know?!"

"First of all: your prisoners. Who have you captured from Fairy Tail?" I asked sternly, keeping my foot in the same position so he wouldn't do any sort of funny business while I was trying to get information.

"T-Tartarus captured a total of five members of Fairy Tail, you included, a-all were kept alive."

"WHO AND WHERE ARE THEY?!" I gripped him harder.

"T-The ones called Natsu, Lisanna, Erza, and Mirajane- however, w-we were summoned because Natsu and Lisanna escaped from their cells. The entire guild of Fairy Tail have also appeared on our cube-"

"Where is Erza and Mirajane...," not even sounding like a question, but a demand. "What did you do to them..."

"I-I-"

Before this guy could say anything, an explosion came through the walls down the hall. I dropped the guy and ran toward the debris. As it cleared up, I saw a red-haired warrior going down the way. It was Erza, she was okay I was glad. She couldn't stop falling through but started to yell out to tell me news.

"NATSU AND LISANNA ARE GOING TO SAVE MIRA! FACE'S SEAL HAS BEEN BROKEN!" I heard her yells echo down the abyss. Alright, everyone is fine. Natsu and Lisanna will be able to save Mira for sure, if not, she could take care of herself. I ran back to that guard that tried to get up and run away, but I grabbed him before he could go far. He was terrified at this point, but I didn't care, that just made it easier for him to talk.

"Where is your leader?" since everyone was okay, I was able to move forward with taking down the guild. My first thought was the leader, sure it is extremely dangerous of me to possibly take on the most powerful demon that Zeref apparently ever created, but I had to do something. Just taking out the smaller bits of the demon guild would just sap away the power I had now. I should use up all my strength on the most threatening figure in the guild so I can fight at my full capacity. This guy told me that E.N.D. the Master of Tartarus required to be awaken, but their next highest authority was someone named Mard Geer... the "Demon King" ha. I shouldn't take this so lightly, but someone that had the nerve to call themselves a king... it just reminded me of future Rogue's little "Dragon King" ignorance. This guy sounded pretty high and mighty and his ego would probably lead to his downfall. "Tell me where he is."

"H-He-"

"AH!" I suddenly yelled out in pain as I felt the stinging feeling of multiple punctures on my ankle. I looked down to see that a vine of sharp thorns grew through the ground and wrapped itself onto my foot. The points where serrated enough that it went through the material of my boot, but the wounds would've been way more deadly if it was just attaching to my bare skin. The pain was so strong that I was afraid to move my ankle. But I felt a tugging motion from it, causing me to wince more from the torment. I could see blood ooze out, and the vine pulled me down. The breaching through rock hard floors and walls didn't feel so bad, but I could feel my ankle succumbing to the tearing of skin. I was only enduring this torture because this thing was probably bringing me closer to their Master. The vines were twisting and turning and I felt like this thing was just toying with me now.

"Black God's Pluto!"

Emerging from my body came out a sphere of Black Magic, a wave that extended further out to deteriorate the vine that was dragging me around like a rag doll. I had wounds around my body, but it was nothing. The spell was successful and the vine indeed had life in it for me to take away and crumble away. However I ended up falling through the floor and landing into the the room below with debris continuing to fall on top of me. I wiped off the dust and the pebbles that were scattered on my body, but as I tried to position myself to stand, my ankle was unable to give the support. If I took off my boot, it would probably look mutilated... but at least it was still intact. I noticed that the floor had a crimson red carpet, unlike the stone tiles that were on the other parts of this place.

"My oh my," I heard a voice echo across the room. I looked up to see someone in the distance, someone sitting on a throne. Was he the one that brought me here? Is he the one capable of using this Plant Magic? Or is this guy a demon like the rest of them... My clothes were fairly ripped, but I tore off a piece of my sleeve to tie around my ankle. The burning sensation of the wounds were still there, but at least it was bearable enough for me to stand and slowly walk closer. This demon didn't say anything else, so I had to get a closer look with my guard up. "Normally Mard Geer wouldn't hesitate to allow a human to live after ruining his garden... but..."

More vines with thorns appeared from ground, surrounding me like tentacles from an octopus. I quickly used Pluto again, only to get a lesser reaction from him.

"Ah.. ah... ah...," he slyly said in response to my retaliations. With hardly any movement, he is able to quickly manipulate the vines at his will. I couldn't keep doing the same defensive tactic every time he tries to subdue me, that would just be an easy way to suck away my Magic. I had no choice but let him tie me down, but I had to still keep my defense up since he has the capability and the mentality to take away a human's life. Pluto is a rather flashy defensive spell that isn't very easy to use in a discrete manner. But, I can at least manipulate it slightly to use it as some sort of skin-like shield so it can negate some pressure from the vines off of me. "Mard Geer wants to speak."

"...," I didn't respond and he only smirked as he forced the thorny vines to wrap around my body even tighter. I slightly winced at the pain, but the tightness wasn't so bad. They were definitely piercing through my skin, there was blood dripping throughout my arms and legs, but it wasn't enough for me to be in absolute agony. He forced the vines to force my body to go down on my knees as if I want to bow down to an all-mighty king. I noticed that he was holding a book in his hands as if it was the most precious thing in the world to him with the title of E.N.D. across the cover. "What do you want?"

"As what every child wants... to be returned to their Master. Despite being a human, wouldn't you understand, Miss Ferez?" The sound of my last name made my ears pucker. "It absolutely warms my heart to hear someone be as dedicated to our Lord, even taking a last name in memory of him. In order for Zeref's children to be reunited with their creator, we need to awaken Master E.N.D. and then we can return to his place. Isn't that such a lifting dream to have? Isn't that something you've always wanted? In the end, are you not a child of Zeref like us?"

"Don't compare me to demons like you."

"Oh? But you are uncomparable to humans. But don't think Mard Geer would ever acknowledge you as someone at the same level as us, Etherions: the perfect beings of power and grace given by our creator. However... Zeref's child or not, you are a Black God Slayer. Tell me dear, what do you plan on achieving with that power?"

"Eliminate Tartaros."

"Foolish," he laughed out loud, making a slight echo vibrate in this large throne room. "Who do you think we are? Haven't you realize already that we are demons from the book of Zeref? Mard Geer is the Demon King himself, the King of Hades. Why would you think Zeref would teach a human such a power to eliminate his precious creations?"

"It is creations like you that make him ashamed and remorseful."

"Careful," he said in a sinister, but calm manner and controlled his vines to have a tighter grip. "Causing Mard Geer any trouble would lead to punishments. You should be thanking Mard Geer for being so lenient on you."

"Punishment? You dare cause harm to me? The child of Zeref? I am his precious little one. Why else would he call upon your past lives to protect me? To keep me alive? Why else would he show himself to me and warn me about your intentions? Why would he tell me that he does not want to involve himself with your war against the world? Tartaros isn't worth his time, and Fairy Tail is strong enough to defeat you."

"What?" his smirk disappeared into a frown. The look on his face was pushing me to speak out. I was at risk of death at any moment, but I won't go down without a fight, and I won't go down while he thinks he can say whatever he wants. It is probably very rash of me to talk back to him, but I wanted to make his pride go away. They are not Zeref's prized creations, the powerful ones perhaps, but I am the one that truly loves him. They treat themselves as natural followers, loyal creations, entities of their lord... I am someone that knows him better than they do. But I had to admit that the last bit was a little twist in his words. He actually never said that, but he was supporting us. He never said that he knows we would win, but no matter what, he would not influence the outcome.

"You heard me... Lucifer."

The pride he has as a king, the pride he has being a demon, the pride he has holding E.N.D. in his arms, and the pride he has of being able to take lives. His sin is pride, Mard Geer was once my treasured Lucifer. They looked similar in many ways. This "king" had the same shagginess in his hair Lucifer had, only black in a large ponytail. They had the same face, except Mard was definitely more demon-like for a lack of better term. Lucifer was arguably the leader of the 7 Deadly Sins and my most powerful devil which parallels this guy. But just like what Zeref said, they may share the same soul, but their personalities, powers, intentions, and humanity is completely restored into something completely new. Celestial Spirits gain power through their owner's true passion, whereas a Devil Spirit does not require a host to want power... in fact, Devils are known to kill anyone that wants a contract. Perhaps the Celestial ones truly are the angels and the Devil ones are those that have fallen. Mard Geer opened his mouth, but I heard someone come walking in.

"King of Hades, Mard Geer-sama," a feminine voice greeted.

The vines weren't binding my head or neck so I turned around to see who walked in. Mard Geer didn't seem pleased that someone walked in while we were having a conversation, I was sensing something was going to happen that I'll be forced to witness. The person, or demon, that came in politely greeted the Demon King. She had aviator-like features something from her eagle claws and feet to her feathered headgear. She was rather voluptuous as well, but I had to admit she had a pretty womanly face behind that mask. We locked eyes for a moment, but she didn't seem to bother asking about my presence, I suppose she was already aware of Fairy Tail interfering with their plans.

"... the enemy is more powerful that we expected," she said. _Fairy Tail_ was more powerful that they thought? Hell yeah they are. "The Face project failed... Franmalth and Ezel were defeated."

"Sayla was defeated as well and Hell's Core has been destroyed," Mard Geer responded with his smile returning. He casually leaned against the arm of his throne and continued to watch his subordinate be in shock at how much damage Fairy Tail managed to take. The woman was surprised and requested to awaken the Master, however, Mard noted that was impossible to do at this point since they do not have enough power. Apparently E.N.D. can only be summoned (assuming from that book) if there is not enough Magic power in the world which was the purpose of the Face project. "The failure of Face is not a problem, it was only a point. If you see it from the big picture like how a perfect tactician Mard Geer is, clearly it is nothing. Surely Magic would soon vanish from this world."

"I don't seem to understand-"

"Kyouka, what are we?"

"Demons from the Book of Zeref: Etherious," she answered sternly.

"And what is our goal?" he continued questioning her.

"To revive Master E.N.D. and return to Zeref's side."

"What are humans?"

"Lower than insects," she responded. Coming out from all directions, vines appeared and viciously constricted her from her arms, legs, neck, and even her head. It was absolutely gruesome to see. The sudden assault made my heart skip a beat. Sure, I knew these demons had no sense of mercy, but still... this was sad to see right next to me. Mard Geer noticed my horrified look of disgust, but he only laughed at this reaction.

"Do you even know who she is?" Mard Geer mocked me as if I couldn't tell between a human or a demon. Just because a demons apparently perceive humans as nothing but insects to them does not mean it is vice versa. I have sympathy... is that really wrong of me? "She is an Etherion that can make others stronger. I believe you know of the one called Minerva, a former opponent. In fact, it was Kyouka that made her stronger by turning her into a demon. She also killed many lives for the sake of also wanting to go back to Zeref's place. She has tortured Erza of Fairy Tail for information. She enjoys playing with these humans, doesn't she?"

Kyouka tried to argue against it, but all of those were just rhetorical questions that just kept boiling Mard Geer's inner dissatisfaction.

"Mard Geer finds it disgusting that one of his subordinates would play with creatures lower than insects, consider this your punishment," He may be keeping a straight, poise face... but he is definitely destroying himself on the inside from the constant crumbling of his pride. All I heard were Kyouka's screams in pain, she wasn't even trying to defend herself anymore... she was just taking in all the torture without question, for what? Just because he was the king? Why would she be so compliant? Why is she being such a... sloth? To many people, the idea of the sin of sloth is just laziness. But after being with them for so long, you kind of pick up the finer details of a sin. Kyouka had those details. The ability to make other's stronger... allowing others to fight your battles for you on the basis of power? No will to fight back whoever is giving you pain and suffering? Not questioning anything you are confused about? Refusing to talk back to someone you think is being unfair? Only someone being a sloth would not do anything.

"Belphegor," I softly said. She slightly turned her head to me, but still had that face of pain. I was succumbing to something Zeref warned me about, I can't feel sorry for any of them because they aren't my devils anymore. They were designed to be above humans and who knows how long these demons have stayed like this because of their resurrection technology. Their memories with me may be long gone, but they are definitely aware of who they once were: my guardians. Belphe and I had a complicated relationship... I suppose you can say something similar to the relationship between Lucy and Aquarius (from what I've seen and heard). Belphe would never really attack in rage like Aquarius would, but they both would hate to be summoned by their respective partner. That was Belphe, always giving me attitude and refusing to help me fight in any battles... at least, until she came out to close in the gate of the Eclipse. Kyouka and her had the same face as well, feminine beauty, but had the flaw of the sloth. I was seeing my devils one by one... I was seeing the life they destined themselves to have from losing their creator. She didn't say a word to me and only turned back around to face Mard Geer's torture.

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><p><em>"H-Hello? Can anyone hear me?"<em>

"Warren?" I thought. It was his telepathy again, wow. Now was the perfect time to be using this and I was definitely paying close attention to whatever information he had to relay to us.

"_Mira is okay, she is with us!_" I sighed at the relief. But, was every single member of Fairy Tail on Tartaros' property. What about Laxus and the others suffering from the Magic loss? It was great to have many of our members helping fight them back, but we also had some already wounded that could hold us back in fear of getting them hurt again... I was worried, but I had to trust their strength, they can take care of themselves I hope. If anything, we all know that if they dare cause great harm to any of us, we will strike back with strength greater than that. Wendy had the job of destroying face and apparently managed to destroy it. Wow, I don't know details of anything, but it seems like this battle was on our side. There were various conversations going it, I heard Natsu and the others talk about Hades... the Hades from Grimoire Heart. I don't know how, but they somehow had contact with them during one of their battles with another member of the Nine Demon Gates. The "light" was something that he advised Makarov to do, whatever that means. If that was like a trump card or of the sort, I wouldn't mind at all if we would unleash that right about now. I looked at Mard Geer, he was looking off into the distance and then proceeded to place two fingers on his head.

There was suddenly a disturbing noise that was going through my head, it was so annoying that it was screeching through my ears.

"Fairy Tail, am I correct? This is the King of Hades, Mard Geer... but you do not need to remember that since you will have no tomorrow," he said and swiped his arm across the air. "Alegria."

"What is...," everything around us was distorting itself. I could feel the ground creep on my legs. Is this thing really going to swallow me whole?! I was in fear of my life. Everything was changing, being destroyed, or being sucked into who knows what. Whatever this trick was, it was meant to kill everyone in an instant: enemy or ally. This is truly a King of the Underworld... someone that does not know what humanity is. With everything moving around and shifting everywhere... Mard Geer and Kyouka were soon out of my sight. "Black God's Azrael!"

The enchantment came through before this spell encased my entire body. The string like piece of Black Magic came through and circled itself around the target, myself. In the circle came through a pillar of a pure force of Magic power. It went from the ground to the sky and if you were looking from outside the Cube, it would still be going through it. The ground deteriorated off of my body and I was plopped onto some other location. I made it out... but... what am I suppose to do now?

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><p><strong>And that's all! Again, I hope you liked it and I greatly appreciate all of you bearing through with me and following through the chapter! I understand it might get a little frustrating that I follow with the manga which only comes out once a week and a chapter of this story covers multiple chapters.. but thank you very much for being so patient! Remember to follow, favorite, and review- thank you everyone that already did and thank you for reading!<strong>


	22. Chapter 22: Life

**Hello everyone! This was a rather quick update in comparison to my other release dates LOL! Work has been slow so I've been getting lots of free time to dish up a chapter... if only I wasn't so caught up with the manga... oh well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and thank you for the favorites and follows and reviews! HOORAY FOR STINGGGGG. I also drew this picture of my OC of her looks during her time in this arc (you can find it on my profile page) Enjoy!**

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><p>What the hell did he do? One swipe with his fingers and he's able to turn this entire thing into... this? And what about the rest of the guild? Why do I feel so alone? I can't hear anyone... I can't see anyone... I can't...<p>

_"Hello little one... please don't cry, I'm here."_

_The tears kept falling and the heart beat kept pounding, but the amount of hope stopped from fading. It was an actual person, someone to save me. But where is... everyone else? Mama and Papa, the old lady from down the street, the bakery owner a block away, the kids that always went to the park... why isn't anyone there? The man moved the rocks, pieces of wood, and all the debris that kept me trapped like being in an encased cage. I had a lot of scratches that kept stinging my body for days. He lifted me up, I was really tiny compared to him. I kept holding him close as if he was the only thing that was clinging me onto my life... which he probably was. Everyone was gone. I couldn't see anyone, or hear anyone, where did they all go?_

My eyes shot open. No... this isn't the time to have an episode like that. I had keep moving, no matter how much I hate of the idea of a Demon King, Mard Geer indeed had the playing field at this moment. He would know everything that goes on in his own little world and probably sent the other demons after me. Considering that I was able to break free from the deformations, I bet that other members have also been able to evade it, right? The area around me was quite compact which is why I had that little moment to myself, but I was able to move aside the disgusting terrain around to get out of there. I had to keep moving, demons could probably easily find anyone that trespasses on their terrain. They had the home field advantage, but I can't let that stop me. I felt the ground tremble a bit and it wasn't getting stronger toward me, there must be another fight somewhere and chances are, there is a Fairy Tail member handling with demons. I had to help, but as I started to run in that direction, a blaze of fire was shooting right at me. I took a step back and used Pluto to negate some of the damage it would've done to me. I had some burns, but nothing serious. After the fire disintegrated passed me, a figure came forward. It wasn't Natsu.

"A demon gate...," I said to myself. A dark-skinned humanoid demon came walking closer to me slowly. He had a blank expression on his face, nothing I could immediately recognize. He came walking closer with an eerie dust of aura around him.

"Are these-?!" I quickly held my breath with my hands covering my mouth and nose. But that won't do, these particles could enter my body through my eyes or ears, I had to get out of there, or I'll end up not being able to be useful in this war. So he's the one that made Laxus, Freed, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Yajima go into that suffering... and many others. In times like this, I would hate to leave a battle... but I know my time when I have to retreat and fight another time. It looks like this guy has an absolute zero sense of will, so he has no interest in coming after me right there.

"Where do you think you're going?" I was stopped by another humanoid demon.

Talk about speak of the devil. This guy had the words 'absolute zero' on his outfit which made me assume that this is the guy that froze the giant village, I cursed at myself. I had to run away from this battle too, if I let this demon freeze me, it would be all over too... fuck these guys, I can't win against them by myself, at least not now when I have no idea how to handle them. I had no where to turn... behind me is a guy that can fatally leave me Magic deprived, and the guy in front of me can fatally just freeze me on the spot. They were both just walking closer to me, until I noticed a fast moving stream of water. It would be a risk for me to just jump in and find out where it takes me, but it was better than letting these two wipe me out on the spot because of the nature of their damn Curses.

"You're not going to take away my prize are you Tempesta?" he started to make conversation with the other demon with me in the middle.

"...," he did not immediately respond. "I have no interest in such a thing."

"Then you would not mind if I have a little bit of fun?" he politely asked, something different coming from a demon of Tartarus. He gave off a little friendly smile which was only returned with the same blank expression from Tempesta. "I actually have no interest in the prize either, I just wanted something to do."

"Very well," without breaking the same cold demeanor, he closed his eyes in an agreement with the Ice Devil Slayer. What are they talking about? A prize? Did Mard treat whoever survived his Alegria transformation as pawns of a game? That sickens me, and it even annoys me more that these two are treating me as some toy on the floor that they can just negotiate who can play with it first.

"Besides, you heard about what happened to Hell's Core right? If you lose your body then Kyouka would have no way to restore a new body to you."

Tempesta nodded and walked away from the scene, the particles were gone to my surprise. I noticed that he was missing a finger on one of his hands. I see, he releases the poison through destroying his own body. So that event with the many lives taken was the cause of the explosion of his own body... and just sacrificing his finger was enough to kill someone. I almost felt grateful that the Ice Devil Slayer came to politely settle on me. It gave me the chills being alone with this guy, no pun intended. He looked like some war veteran or something, middle-aged, and had the look of a fighter. I had a mix of fear and excitement going through my head. He didn't look so serious, and actually did say he wanted some fun. I think can trust this guy from not just freezing me on the spot... then again, maybe he just wanted to test if I was capable enough to face off an opponent like him.

"Black God's Guillotine!" I lunged toward him to try landing a punch. Guillotine is a spell that forms blades around my arms or legs, or both depending on what kind of fighting style I wanted. Zeref taught me multiple forms of hand-to-hand combat to easily adapt to my opponent's fighting style. With the added sharpness to my attacks, I can slice my enemies and also land a forcing blow to them like that of the famous execution machine, of course, minus the head cutting part.

He dodged the attack though. I bet if I didn't enchant myself with Guillotine, he would've just held my fist in place with his own. We were on two totally different scales of size and if we were just having a fight between that, he would definitely win. He was stronger than I am, physically, but he looked stiff like a rock. I bet he relies more on his Curse rather than his strength, however, I shouldn't underestimate the sheer power of his muscle. I actually used my shorter stature to my advantage as I could easily dodge his returning punches or kicks which made me be able to land a slicing kick to his leg.

"That burns," he said as if he was surprised, but still kept calm as the force of my kick sent him sliding back a bit. He looked down at the wound on his leg then looked back up at me. "I thought humans made it illegal to practice Black Magic."

"There has to be someone in the world to match the power of a Black God. Wouldn't you understand, Devil Slayer?"

"You could say that devils are on par with Gods of Black Magic... looks like we have a match in power but...," he smirked and I could feel the ground and ceiling start to rumble. Then below my feet came out a stalagmite of ice that I barely dodged, but as I fell back, a stalactite came from ceiling dropping down on me. I had to be creative and twist my body, using my hand to land on the ground, and make a flip. But this guy was being ruthless and continue to conjure up these deadly spikes that intended to pierce me through. "You are only human."

After saying that, my shoulder got stabbed by the icy shard which flipped my body over and causing another one to stab part of my leg. I had no time to wince over the pain, I took steps back and faced the demon. Coming out from my mouth came the Black Magic of my bellows which was enough to shatter through the spikes that he sprouted earlier and get to him. I didn't know if I did any damage to him, but the debris coming from the fragments of ice gave me enough time to make a getaway.

"Black God's Bellow!" a swirl of Black Magic rushed out of my mouth. I aimed at the Ice Devil Slayer and then let the destructive jet stream push myself away. The attack was able to diverge his attention away from me, leaving me enough time to jump into the water and let the current take me away. I started to hear more screams and explosions, the ones I heard from earlier. This escape actually came to my advantage and I noticed the water was flowing faster, taking me to wherever I'm going even quicker.

I saw him walk toward the ledge, but didn't seem interested in chasing after his prey.

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><p>Getting rushed into a completely different area, I saw a demon in the water, swimming swiftly toward a mermaid, it was the spirit of the water bearer, Aquarius. That means... Lucy is here. I released a rushing flow of Black Magic out of my hand to project me faster toward the land shark looking demon to kick his face to a different direction. The shock he got from getting a surprise attack through him on the edge enough to adjust.<p>

"Black God's Osiris!" using Black Magic in a whipping motion. I was able to slap away the scaled demon and the other two that were present. There was a a shorter girl with bunny ears that didn't seem like a threat, and another guy that had features of a fox or something, but he looked intimidating enough. I looked back to see a serious looking mermaid Spirit, but I knew I had her gratitude. Lucy was alive, but not doing so well. Was it just the two of us to fend off this army of demons? However, Osiris was enough as this demon was proficient in the water and was easily able to swim back into position to attack. I was caught off guard and he slashed me away from the water and continued his assault onto Aquarius. Washing up ashore, I held my bleeding arm and cringed from the roughness. I already had that wound from Silver, and it had to get another wound on top of it. I peeked an eye open to see that Lucy's other spirits, Leo and Virgo, had closed up their own gates because of the damage they received from that animal's explosion attack. He then approached me with a smirk on his face. He crouched down at my body, held my wrist and lifted it up to force my head to match his height, I yelled out in pain as the movement opened up my wounds even more. He was enjoying my pain, so I spit the blood onto his foot. He responded by causing my wrist to suffer from an explosion which caused my body to roll back. I couldn't lock in any Magic from anyone because they used Curses.

I noticed the smaller girl was holding Lucy up as a target, asking Jackal to blow her breasts. But he blew her up instead and called her annoying. I silently enchanted Azrael to create a circle below Jackal's feet which summoned a pillar of Black Magic, but he saw through it and dodged it. Fuck. My wounds and fatigue are making my fighting ability slack. He took this as an opportunity to torture me with more explosions appearing on my body. He walked up to me and crouched down at my suffering again.

"Aren't you a tough cookie?" he commented as he pulled my hair and came close to my face with a taunting glare.

"... Black God's..."

"Huh?"

"... Holy Ray."

He let go of me and was pushed back to the wall by the black and white breath attack. No matter how things turn out, Sting's Magic has become a part of me after consuming it. You can never get me to change my beliefs and think life is worthless. Zeref lost control of his Black Magic because he started to understand the meaning of life and humanity, but I couldn't allow that to happen myself. Sting opened an opportunity for me. Embellishing me with the power of a White Dragon's holy light, I am able to choose my own judgement with both powers. I can protect the ones I love, punish those that cause a threat, and control my Magic without having a second thought of how I felt about Black Magic. Without death... there can be no life, no life and there is no death. I can no longer fear of hurting those that I want to protect. I'm not a pure Black Mage or a pure White Mage, by yielding the power of both, there's nothing stopping me.

"What the fuck was that...?" Jackal went back on his feet, exploding away the debris that fell on him, and with half of his face bleeding heavily. Nothing has been heard of a Black God being holy, the paradox caused high damage for a devil. I normally wouldn't take Sting's Magic for granted like this, but I have nothing left of my Black Magic to use on these guys. "Holiness of an angel and the evilness of a devil?"

"Don't call me evil," I retorted at him. But he was right, I had the power of both clashing entities. Some would think that my body is constantly at war with the opposite sides, but I utilize both to work together: one can't exist without the other.

"But I can call you stupid."

My leg began to glow and it faced the impact of another explosion that I could not avoid. There was something more to this Curse than just detonating anything into a blast. Apparently, anything that touches him can become a bomb at his disposal. He laughed hysterically seeing me fall to the ground as my leg gave in and I couldn't stand on it any longer. He let multiple explosions to set off around my body and I was being tortured from the mini blasts that tore apart my body. I couldn't move anymore and he proceeded to respond to a yelling Lucy that was crying out to stop. He walked to her direction and had the intent on torturing her as well. I was about to yell back at him, at this point, all we could do was fight with our voices. But then a wave came crashing by and Jackal was swept up by the tide. Water was definitely a weakness since it was a liquid substance that can't be destroyed with explosions and it would constantly turn its shape back to normal in the instant it is disturbed.

Aquarius admitted that she, or any other Spirit for that matter, had the power to defeat any of the demons. All the water bearer can do right now is to keep Jackal away with water, but who knows how long she could keep this up. When all hope seemed lost, she revealed that the strongest being of the Celestial World is the king himself. However, when Lucy stated that she does not have the key to open that gate, she is told that is not how he is summoned. You must break a gold key, a key of one of the Zodiacs, to substitute in the Celestial Spirit King. It had to be a Spirit that has a mutual relationship with the owner.

"Break my key."

The idea of sacrificing one of your own... it is something unthinkable within Fairy Tail... It was definitely something unheard of until the moment it actually to me. I had to lose all of my devils for the sake of the world, it is a terrible, horrible feeling to lose those that have been with you for most of your life, those that took care of you, those that loved you and loved in return. Lucy refused to sacrifice Aquarius, and that alone brought me to tears. If I had the choice, I wouldn't sacrifice my devils back there at the Eclipse Gate. But Aquarius would not allow her master to let the rest of her guild perish, leaving Lucy in a corner to decide the only choice she had. There was no time to figure out another way to save everyone, we were both out of Magic and there was still a handful of demons capable of taking away many lives ready to fight.

"Open, gate of the Celestial Spirit King!" Lucy tearfully held out the key to the water bearer and the shatter of it was equal to that of a shattering heart. It was a kin to hearing the sound of an opening lock, and realizing that nothing will happen. I miss my devils, and it hurts more to see their reincarnations reside in this Dark Guild vent on destroying all Magic on Earthland for the sake of Zeref... at least now, maybe the Celestial Spirit King will be able to go head to doe with the King of Hades, the sin of pride. The presence of a high end celestial being was overwhelming, but also uplifting as we realize that the Spirit King proceeded to destroy the Cube by slicing it with his blade. They won't be having the home field advantage anymore.

Lucy was brought down to tears and I could only watch as I saw myself look like that when I lost everyone too. We understood each other and I crawled to her for comfort. It hurt like hell to move around, but nothing would be more painful than having to sacrifice one of your own. Jackal was heard off into the distant, struggling to cope with the destruction of their already deformed terrain.

"What did you do, stupid girl?!" he yelled as he tried to blow us up again (seriously, starting to get kind of annoying if that's all he could do). But we were suddenly surprised as we noticed a sphere of water came to shield us. At first we thought Aquarius was still around, but we heard a voice coming from inside the orb.

"I changed Aquarius' Magic into power for friends, stand up you two."

With the power being granted to us, I noticed Lucy and I developed tattoos similar to Aquarius, each of us having half of it. We were bestowed with celestial clothes to cover our rags and our wounds were suddenly being healed by the healing properties within the water. The sound of explosions hitting the surface of water field became annoying, Lucy and I ready to take this guy down. We held each other's hands, back to back, as we both had the same idea for Jackal.

**Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens...  
><strong>_**Wander through the fire, Only thy gates of Hell**_  
><strong>All the stars, far and wide...<br>_Unforgive devils laid to sufer_**  
><strong>Show me thy appearance...<br>_Show me thy pain_**  
><strong>With such shine.<br>_Your damnation calls_**  
><strong>Oh Tetrabiblos...<br>**_**Oh Seven Deadly Sins**_  
><strong>I am the ruler of the stars...<br>**_**Superbia, Avarita, Luxuria,**_  
><strong>Aspect become complete...<br>_Invidia, Gula, Ira, Acedia_**  
><strong>Open thy malevolent gate.<strong>  
><strong>Oh 88 Stars of the heaven... <strong>  
><strong>Shine!<br>_Burn!_**  
><strong>Urano Metria!<br>_Thalia Metria!_**

The attack successfully landed, hitting Jackal with the force of the star's light and the force of the sin's darkness. Aquarius' power was not permanent and it began to leave our bodies as we were returned to our exhausted state. Realizing this, the Celestial Spirit King must be getting fatigued from battling Mard Geer. We couldn't rely our victory on an entire Dark Guild in the hands of just the Celestial Spirit King, the King of Hades has reinforcements behind him. We needed Fairy Tail back, I could still feel their presence throughout the damaged Cube as what Lucy felt too. Life. We could sense life. Living Magic. That's it.

"Clarion.. what are you-"

"This entire thing... this Cube, Mard Geer called it his garden... it holds the life of demons on it. It is... it is just one big block of nature."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"Black Magic does not only consist of Death Magic... it also applies to Living Magic, and I only know one spell. I wasn't able to use it before, but from the Celestial Spirit King's weakening of Mard Geer and the Cube itself, maybe I could manipulate it to spit out Fairy Tail that it absorbed from Alegria."

And with using Sting's White Magic mixed with my Black Magic... I have life in my grasp. I'll be able to cheat everyone's death. I held my hands down with my palms touching the ground. I lock onto everyone's Magic, everything nature in this Cube. Whether it was to house the most amount of evil I've ever come across, it was still a force of nature, something that holds life, something I can manipulate.

"Black God's Persephone."

My hands were shining white light as the glow started to travel throughout the rest of the place. I saw the place also slice around with a white light coming from the Celestial Spirit King's attack, possibly his last. He was giving me an edge and making it easier on me to release everyone that has become part of the Alegria's nature transformation. Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Vegetation. She has brought upon the world with the life of the spring season and I would bring back the life of my guild through her power. Persephone grants me the ability to manipulate nature, the heart of Living Magic. With the last bit of Aquarius' Magic, water being the natural provider of life, leaving my body, I was able to land a full scale use of this spell. By now my eyes were glowing white and I had no sense of sight at this point, all I could focus now was my hands channeling the Living Magic around this thing. I was at my limit, but I had to push beyond it as my last source of helping our guild win this war.

I collapsed, hoping that I did something at least. Lucy was probably also out of commission from all the exhaustion of putting up a fight with everything and everyone... as well as coping with a loss of a friend. At least we both know our spirit and devils are still alive in their own world, in their own time. My ears were hearing sounds of movement, praying that it was the motion of Fairy Tail going back into action. But when I opened an eye, I saw that land-shark demon coming right at me and I didn't have the strength to block it. I shut my eyes closed to brace myself, but heard something else.

"Gajeel!" I heard Lucy call out in a relieving tone as I saw a living face of a Fairy Tail right before me. I was in a state beyond relief, I managed to do something right with my Black Magic. I felt safe enough to let my eyes close again, its time for Fairy Tail to make another hole in Tartarus' power. I couldn't feel the presence of Mard Geer anymore, the Celestial King must have incapacitated him somehow. I could finally catch my breath, knowing that I can see everyone again, I can hear everyone again. I'm not alone anymore.

I'm sorry Sting. As soon as everything is over, I'll be sure to tell you that you helped me save the people I love and myself.

...

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><p><em>"You did well," I heard a voice in my head. It wasn't the voice of Warren, or Fairy Tail, or the voice of Mard Geer.<em>

_"Thank you, Zeref," my lips curved up into a soft smile to see the face of a young man from afar. He was about ten paces in front of me. He was standing tall, arms at his side, feet facing forward, and looking straight up ahead at me._

_"Why thank me? I'm the one that brought these beings to life. They caused you great harm and great pain. I should not be thankful of me, or forgive me. You do not exist to fix my mess," he responded solemnly._

_"I exist to live, to survive, to protect, and to love. You are the one that saved me and always protected me. Let me return the sacrifice, I will do the same to you," he had no response and nothing changed the calm look on his face. I know my words meant something to him, he just has a hard time getting use to having someone respond to him with love._

_We were looking straight at each other, no movement whatsoever. It felt so serene, being in this state where I have no worries, no pain._

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><p>My eyes were still closed, I was just letting my body heal itself slowly from my wounds. I felt someone pick me up bridal style, most likely to drive me away from the battle that was about to ensure. I heard the voices of Natsu, Gajeel, Gray, Juvia, and many voices of the enemy. I was in no place to hold them back from fighting, but I don't know who was taking me away. I don't have a nose like a Dragon, but... it felt familiar. The light of the sun hit my face and the sound of an explosion surprised me.<p>

"Just in time," I heard a familiar voice.

"Sorry for being late," and this voice made my eyes open up wide. I saw his face and I began to tear up. Rogue was of course with him, along with Frosch and Lector. There was someone that Rogue was holding too, I didn't recognize her at first... but it was Minerva. They told her that her guild is Sabertooth no matter what, and she had tears in her eyes. I suppose she finally gets it now. I also saw Erza alive and well. Sting came in closer and kissed my forehead, perhaps his way of saying sorry for earlier. It made my tears drip down my cheeks now. "You were great."

"Oh," said the Demon King, Mard Geer across the way. This will be something for sure.

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><p><strong>Omg yassss! This was a rather quick chapter heheh (well kinda), but slightly short imo .-. hopefully the manga would give me enough to follow through to be enough to release another chapter in the very near future, there probably will cause SABERTOOTH YAYYYYY! THE GODS HAVE SPOKEN TO MEEE! Thank you again for reading and for the follows and favorites and reviews, it really means a lot!<strong>


	23. Chapter 23: Suffering

**Hello wonderful reader! Thank you for stopping by for another chapter that took ever so long to wait... I apologize for that. Hopefully there won't be such a long wait next time ): Anyways, thank you again for all the follows and favorites and reviews! And I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>"Why are you here...?" Erza asked the Sabertooth members on behalf of their sudden entrance onto the battlefield. It was no longer Fairy Tail versus Tartaros anymore, the sharp-toothed tiger was now on the fairy's side. I could hear Minerva's sniffling, hearing her cry was definitely something new. Sure, she was bawling in tears after I defeated her in the Grand Magic Games, but that was because of the humiliation of defeat. In this situation, the battle is only beginning. I noticed a different look on her, a kind of appearance that looked inhuman. I thought she was in the Succubus Eye dark guild... how did she end up on Tartaros' land?<p>

"Didn't you send us a letter, Erza-san?" Sting replied back as Rogue gently placed Minerva on the ground to rest. Sting, on the other hand, rested his body against the wall of the broken pillar next to the War God Mage er- or at least I think she still is. He still held me close in his arms. Erza remembered how she contacted them earlier about Minerva coming over to the dark side, however, their late arrival was due to her confusing letter. Erza slumped over next to Minerva while Sting had to put me down too while giving me his vest to wear around my shoulders. My wounds have aired out and closed up by now, but my body was still in so much pain from the battle prior. "Don't worry. We're bringing our Lady back to our guild... and I'm bringing you back home with me."

He looked directly at me when he said that which made me blush and pout. He took out some ointment and bandages he had packaged in a kit with him before coming onto the Cube. Applying the disinfectant made me wince a bit, but it had to be done. The bandages he had weren't enough to wrap all of my wounds, so he had to just cover up the deeper wounds: the stab wounds on my arm and leg, my mutilated ankles (one probably going to be left with scars), and the rest went on random parts on my body where Jackal's explosions detonated. Rogue did the same with Minerva, but she had minimal injuries compared to mine.

"Back to your guild? Back home?" Mard Geer came into the conversation. Sting stood up and turned around to look at the king. The demon didn't have a slight of worry on his face as he welcomed the Twin Dragons to try and stop him. He kept claiming that the world of Magic will be obliterated anyways.

"Face was destroyed," Erza looked at him dead in the eye whilst revealing to him that his plan was terminated, but again his face did not change. He even had a slightly bigger grin on his face with his eye lids moving down a little.

"Just one."

"_Just_ one?" I repeated after him with my heart skipping a bit. Erza and I were both in shock as our eyes widened at his comment. We were all always informed that Tartarus was using the ultimate weapon, Face, to eliminate the existence of Magic. Apparently one was enough to do the damage, but Wendy and Charle were successful in destroying it. Now this guy just reacts by saying that there was just one destroyed, how many could there be? And how much destruction that multiple ones cause?

"On the way here...," Sting said while slightly turning his head to the side to indicate that he was talking to us. "We saw many eerie face-shaped statues."

"If that is Face, then there really is a lot of them," Rogue commented which lead to us being in utter shock at this point. Mard Geer seemed amused, and even more entertained to see our reaction when he revealed to us that there are 3,000 Faces ready to be activated simultaneously within one hour. In one hour, the continent is going to meet its demise. I was clenching my teeth at this point from just hearing him be so confident with this. He can't get away with this, but we were really limited on time and a plan.

"Heheh...," the sound of a somewhat devilish laugh broke the sense of despair in the atmosphere. Erza and I both turned our attention to Minerva. "It's a bluff. Face cannot be remotely activated it would be impossible to have them all triggered at the same time.

"If I remember correctly, the former Charmain of the Magic Council, Crawford Seam, should have the authority to remotely function them."

"What?" I knew that name, he was an excellent Archive user and stepped down from his reign of being the leader of the Magic Council. Erza let me in that she and Mirajane had a mission to protect him because he was a former member just like the rest of us were assigned to do. However, he was a traitor and always had been a secret informant of Tartarus.

"But that person died," Minerva retorted leaving Erza was visibly surprised.

"We have a necromancer," Mard Geer managed to argue. "He's controlling the body and having him activate Face from the control room."

With Erza standing up with her teeth clenched, she now had a plan. Assuming that the necromancer was one of the Nine Demon Gates, we had to defeat him next in order to prevent anyone from being able to initiate Face's purpose. However, we had an obstacle in the way: Mard Geer.

"Go," Sting ordered. Erza tried argue, but he wouldn't allow it and interrupted her. "Take care of the Lady, Lector, Frosch, and Clarion. They'll be fine with you."

"We'll defeat him," Rogue ensured us.

We had to admit that they are powerful beings, but with an opponent like the King of Hades, there was a reasonable sense of worry. Mard Geer, as usual, underestimated that as simple humans. But then again, Sting and Rogue are definitely not simple. They almost reminded me of myself. Two people with the powers that contrast one another that make up something so powerful. White Magic may not be the same as Living Magic and Shadow Magic may not be the same as Death Magic... but it was close, like a humane version of my own Black Magic. They definitely had the ability to defeat him, we have to believe them. They initiated the battle by throwing attacks at the Etherion leader until they urged us to make our escape.

"Be careful!" Erza looked back as she held Minerva's arm around her shoulder. "He's very strong!"

"Not as strong as Natsu-san," Sting replied with confidence.

"Fro wanna fight too!"

"Don't be stupid, we're going with Erza-san!" Lector activated his Aera to sproud wings so he can help me hold myself up as we got out of there. Fro quickly did the same as he held my other arm. "Don't worry Claire-kun, I trust Sting-kun."

"I do too," I responded with a soft smile. I have my faith in them.

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><p>We began walking quite a bit, but unsure where the control room was. Minerva had no idea exactly what direction we should take considering how everything was destroyed and distorted to the point where you can't really tell where we are. We noticed two small shadowy figures in the distance. They were cat-like, they were definitely not enemies.<p>

"Happy, Lily," Erza greeted them with relief. It would devastating for us if we were to run into enemies, seeing familiar faces were quite relieving. The Exceeds made their excitement on seeing each other, but there was no time to celebrate, we have less than one hour to somehow disconnect the dead body of the Chairman from being controlled by the demon. Looking at the Exceeds, I noticed that Happy had a... mushroom or something on his head.

"Happy, what's that on your head?" I asked him out of concern. Happy didn't know himself and Minerva crouched down in front of him for a closer look. Her eyes became focused as she did not hesitate to rip it off of him, it looked like it was attached to his body... making it look quite disturbing to watch... I was concerned with Happy's well-being, but the small trickle of blood that sprouted out didn't seem to do so much harm to him. I looked back to Minerva, gripping the fungus tightly in her hand, and she revealed that was actually one of the Nine Demon Gates and he would definitely know where the control room was. He looked like he had absolutely no power to fight us, making it a perfect opportunity.

"Nice work, Lady!" the Saber Exceeds cheered. I managed to limp a bit to walk on my own and went to take a closer look at the demon. We didn't have time to examine him so I threw him over to Erza where she caught him while getting Minerva's arm back over her shoulder. We had to keep moving. Lector flew over to the back of my head to help me stand and walk without too much strain on my legs. We had to be careful where we go, if we were to run into the enemy, it wouldn't be so good since Minerva and I were too injured to even stand. The demon led us to a direction which we had to follow, but not before getting a tighter squeeze from Erza's wrath.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" she threatened him.

"O-Of course!" he replied in fear. We were all pretty uneasy of our trust in him. For all we know, he could just be making us go into the opposite direction to waste enough time for us to be too late.

"I wonder if Sting and Rogue are okay...," the words I would never believe Minerva to say. It perked my ears to hear that almost to the point where it sort of made me mad. Really... this whole situation being with her makes me angry. It makes me mad that Sting and Rogue still resolve to bring her back to the guild she practically betrayed. It upsets me that Lector and Frosch still welcome her presence. It infuriates me how this "Lady" just now starts to care about the people that would always be by her side... even when she goes against them... All she wanted was power... she didn't care about the guild... right? I don't know what happened between her fight with Erza but why now... what happens after? Is she going to turn into a caring leader that will protect and love her guild? I can't imagine it, I can't believe it. I can't accept her, I won't accept her... but I'm lying to myself. I believe in forgiving people... look at me, I forgave the most evil Dark Mage that ever plagued the world... but there's something about Minerva that makes my blood boil. Perhaps it was my encounter with her and what she turned the guild into under her beliefs... maybe I'm afraid that she will turn them into those cocky people again... no, that can't happen. Sting and Rogue vowed to be caring men and Minerva can't have her guild be on top through a competition anymore. What am I afraid of? I looked behind her head again and realize that she is just someone that is able to take away the people I bonded with during my relationship with Sting. Sabertooth is like a second family or "in-laws" for that matter. They are Sting's family and I understand that our families may come before each other... I'm afraid that Minerva will take away Sting from me. Not in a romantic way... but-

"Believe in them!" I heard Erza shout out to break me out of my train of thought. "That's all you can do for now... we have other problems to worry about."

Yeah... that was right. We have Face and these demons to worry about... I do have to believe them. I do have to believe in him. Sting loves me... and I have to believe him as much as he believes in me. I realized that we were getting farther behind from Erza and Minerva that we had to be scolded to move faster or be left behind. I had to get over my thoughts. I had to focus on what's ahead or get clouded up on things that didn't even happen yet.

"Are you okay, Claire-kun?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine Lector."

"You don't have to worry," the red-furred tuxedo Exceed reassured me while gripping onto me tighter. "You know Sting-kun was such a mess when you had to go. He didn't mean to say the things he said, you just mess up his mind a lot because he likes you very much. You make his head get all mushy and says stupid things."

"Yeah... Stupid Sting...," I softly whispered to myself with a smile. We will both be sure to make this world safe for us and our loved ones to live in. "Thanks Lector."

We started picking up the pace a bit more to keep up with the women and other Exceed. But as I took more and more steps, I just suddenly couldn't stand or walk anymore. The random collapse of my legs made me fall on me knees. I slumped over, hearing the crying concerns of Lector and Frosch. I had to support my upper body with my arms, but they just began uncontrollably shaking. I began to cough violently to the point where I should have seen blood... but the crimson fluid was absent. Erza and Minerva stopped for a moment, but I told them not to wait for me. I couldn't talk, if I opened my mouth I would start coughing again. The amount of gagging I was doing was making my abdomen curdle with agony. The pain was intense. I waved my hand at them to go and that I'll be okay.

"Clarion...," Happy came closer showing the most worried face I've ever seen. He placed a paw on my head. The coughing subsided for now and the coughs were replaced with heavy panting. I crawled over to the crumbled wall to lean against it with a little assistance from the Exceeds.

"Go," I softly told all four of the little cats that stayed behind to be with me. I could tell that all of them were reluctant to just leave me like this, but I really had to rest my body. This is probably the toll that casting Persephone has on my well-being. The fallout came in like how the side-effects of drinking alcohol usually kicks in awhile after you consume the actual substance. My head was starting to spin, I couldn't allow these guys to stick by me while I'm like this. "They need you more than I do, I'll be fine."

With hesitation, but understanding, they complied to my insistence. They each hugged my arm to show me that this is something they don't want to do, but need to do. I know that they all would never dare to abandon a friend, but we all have to make sacrifices to save each other. Leaving someone behind does not always mean you are turning your back on them. I need these guys to help themselves and others that need it more. Our main priority is to gain control of the Face trigger, we have to stick to that plan or there won't be anyone to help anymore. I petted each of them on the head and told them to be safe and be strong. They bid me the same advice and proceeding to sprout their angelic wings to catch up with the ladies. Frosch stood still, however, with his wings but did not fly.

"Frosch... go," I said in a weakening voice. He was trying not to cry, but the tears ending up rolling down his pink cheeks and green fur. "Please, do this for me."

With a sniffle, Frosch went ahead to follow the rest of the Exceed group. I could see the sparkle of tears that were left behind and falling. I couldn't help but shed a single tear as well. I became no use for anyone anymore, sure I did a lot by bringing everyone out of the effects of the Plutogrim... but I feel like I have the obligation to keep going through it all by doing something useful. Maybe I'm just pushing myself too far, I do have faith in everyone else doing everything they can. I really wanted to be with Sting right now... I'm really afraid. What if... what if I'll never see him again? What if this moment is all we have?

No... stop, I can't think like this. The heavy breathing was getting lighter, I was slightly better, but still so very weak. At least I get to be grateful that I wasn't in the midst of a battle or near any enemies at the moment, I would have definitely been eliminated.

But the feeling came back again. This time I was trembling, almost as if the tremors came from inside of me. I thought that this time it would subside again, but for awhile it just kept going. I was going crazy, this sickening feeling was making me go berserk. I gathered up all the strength I had to head toward where the others were, I needed some kind of help. I couldn't think straight at all. All I tried doing was running away from all the noises and this feeling. It was silly of me to just run off randomly, but at the time, it felt like it was the only thing I could do to get rid of this feeling. Was I the only one that felt like this? It couldn't just be from the side-effect of using Persephone, I was literally going insane. My head was throbbing, my insides were bursting, and I just felt like despair was surrounding me. As I was running mindlessly, I suddenly had to stop because I came across a set of rugged stair cases. I looked down at the bottom to see actual people. I could see Natsu sitting intensively, something out of the ordinary for a guy like him.

"Gajeel...," Natsu called out in a serious tone without moving his posture. "You hear it too right?"

"Huh?" At first Gajeel had no idea what the Fire Dragon Slayer was talking about, but tuning his ears in... his ears perked and his eyes widened. I suddenly felt my body pounding, I collapsed to the ground shaking.

"Clarion!" Levy called out to me while she was comforting Gajeel. Lucy was also trying to make sense of Natsu and Juvia ran toward me. Sweat was trickling way more down my head and I collapsed on the floor. Lucy and Juvia came by my side and my eyes felt like they were going to bulge out. I was hearing voices, a sinister sounding voice. A cry that was all too familiar. Natsu and Gajeel agreed, they too remember this voice that I've been hearing as well. "What's going on, Lu-chan?!"

"I.. I don't know!" Lucy cried. "I thought it was just Dragon Slayers, but Clarion..."

"Guys...," I finally calmed down a bit. But I definitely know all too well, what was happening to me that was effecting the other Dragon Slayers. I looked over to them and looked back at the girls. "... get away from here. It's-"

Suddenly a black light coming from my abdomen burst out into a blinding illumination. It sounded like an orthodox, but the dark light was really bright. The pressure of it forced everyone around me to keep their distance. I began kneeling over, and the light again became stronger, surrounding me in a pillar of pure darkness. I started screaming out, my veins becoming bulged, and my eyes becoming dialed. All the darkness became convulsing and spinning into a single ball of power that shot straight up into the sky with extreme speed. I collapsed on my side after with everyone looking up to where that light was. It grew bigger and bigger and right when they saw the wings form, they already knew.

"There's no mistaking it...," Natsu said with great fear in his trembling voice. "Acnologia."

"Acnologia was inside of you all this time?!"

I was dumbfound and no sound or voice could leave my mouth. I was speechless and immovable. My eyes just kept staring up at the sky and my eyes began to water with small tears ever so barely dripping down. How could Acnologia be inside of me...? I remember that moment so well though. Right before when Acnologia flew up into the sky prepared to wipe away all of Tenrou Island and its inhabitant out of existence. I held out my hand and tried absorbing in and locking in that power to save everyone. But that can't possibly be how he ended up inside of me in a dormant state. Why force himself out of my body now? Tartaros? Zeref? What does he want? Why did he use me? Zeref is only making me come up with more and more questions and no answers. I was overcome with too much feelings. It was my fault. It was my fault that Fairy Tail will have to face that manifested apocalypse. Natsu dropped down to his knees and suddenly looked over to use with a shocking expression.

"Igneel?!" he called out his dragon foster father's name. "Why can I hear Igneel's voice?!"

Standing up and looking all over, he suddenly had a burst of light appearing from his abdomen in the same fashion that happened to me. Was Igneel going to appear from Natsu? What the hell was going on? Did all the dragons that disappeared just hid themselves in other bodies to hide from humanity?

"I'll do something about Acnologia," I heard a voice. Within seconds, Natsu was encased in a pillar of light that summoned a great large dragon. I had to guess that was Igneel, the dragon of fire. This was all too much. Tears began streaming down my face and Natsu's as well. It was almost like going through a deja vu, except I was seeing a light of hope instead of the darkness of destruction. He was overwhelmed with seeing his father, I was overwhelmed with seeing a monster. I'm sure that Natsu didn't have to go through any pain of releasing Igneel out of his body, but I felt like my insides were twisting and turning. What did I do to deserve this? Why did Fairy Tail have to be a part of this? Everyone around me couldn't even believe what they were seeing. I just felt more and more guilty. I caused this despair for everyone.

Natsu began to stood up to stare up at the sky where his father was, his back turned against me, and started to use his sleeve of his arm to wipe away the dripping tears that escaped his eyes. I heard his sniffle once, and then proceeded to face me. He held his hand out to me, signaling me to take it to held me stand back up. With one hand I grabbed it and my other hand was at my face to muffle the sounds of crying. He hoisted me up on my two feet and with the same arm, he gave me a hug.

"Stop crying Clarion," he told me softly in my ear. "Sting wouldn't want you to cry in this situation."

"B-But...," I cracked my voice through the sobbing.

"Look on the bright side," he said as if he completed the rest of my sentence in his head. "Thanks to you, I've finally found Igneel."

Is that really a bright side? Is that really something to thank me for? Well that is Natsu for you. All his life, he had been dedicated to finding his father, he never gave up and he never lost hope. Even in the face of Acnologia, the fear in him has already subsided. If I want to make myself feel better, I suppose the release of Acnologia forced Igneel to come out of hiding. Natsu finally has his father again, should I be happy for that? I calmed down a bit and took in deep breaths. I thanked Natsu for the comforting and wiped away the remaining tears that didn't dry up yet.

"And to think...," Natsu held onto each of my shoulders tight. I could tell by just feeling the temperature of his hands that we was beginning to boil up. I noticed flames igniting from his feet, but I didn't think much of it. Another shed of tear dripped down from his cheek. This was Natsu's soft spot, his father. I could feel the trembling of his body through the fingers of his grip. "... I've been looking for him this entire time..."

_"Show no fear, show no pain," _I heard a voice and a light touch on my shoulder. It was Zeref's voice, I turned my heard around quickly only to see nothing there. I turned back my head forward to see him off into the distance behind some rubble. He had a soft smile on his face and as I blinked, he disappeared again.

"Natsu...," I tried returning the comfort. But instead, the next thing I knew, my feet were off the ground, and eyes were streaming down my eyes when I just stopped crying a second ago. My guts felt like they just disintegrated and I looked down.

"DON'T SCREW WITH ME," Natsu screamed from the top of his longs as he propelled the both of us up into the and toward the two dragons fighting to the death.

"OI, N-N-N-NA-NATSU!" I angrily yelled back as I looked back up to him staring at Igneel and Acnologia. Why did he have to take me along with him to Igneel?! I was about ready to punch his face until we both hit the rough skin of dragon scales, forcing both of us to cling onto a wing of the maroon-scaled dragon. Fearing for my life, I held on tightly with a hard grip which practically felt like nothing to the winged reptile. Igneel didn't seem to mind me being there and only focused his attention on his foster son's reckless action. While they were bickering, I couldn't keep my eyes off of Acnologia. This position right now, being in between a battle of dragons, was absolutely terrifying, but at the same time, very invigorating. I noticed that Igneel had many scars on his body in contrast to Acnologia who virtually didn't even have a spec of dust on his body. It really made me wonder how this battle between dragons will turn out.

"SHUT UP!" the loud roar from Igneel snapped me out of my mesmerized daze. A giant claw suddenly came to grab Natsu, but still ignored my presence. I didn't really mind, this was a father-son moment. I was staring at those two bicker some more until I noticed Acnologia was coming at us. Out of instinct, I filled my lungs with Black Magic and lashed at him with my bellow attack. It wasn't much, but my Magic was barely beginning to refuel itself. Igneel noticed this attack from from me and added in his own breath attack that made mine look like nothing. I couldn't take credit for this retaliation. Igneel entirely engulfed Acnologia with his flames which then turned into a giant explosion of incredible force. Natsu and I awed in this attack. "No... it's just a stun. Normally my breath wouldn't have landed a scratch on him."

He looked back at me without moving his head and without saying a word, signaling to me that my Black Magic was able to do something to the dragon. He continued with talking to Natsu, talking about Mard Geer. Igneel seemed to know everything already, even if he was confined to Natsu's body. The Flame Dragon King and the Fire Dragon Slayer made a deal: Natsu will strip away Mard Geer from his ever so close attachment to the book of E.N.D. in exchange for Igneel's answers to all his son's overdue questions. With his heart burning furiously, Natsu propelled himself to Mard Geer below in a stream of fire. Realizing that I should find a spot for me to go down below as well, I immediately thought of Sting. I couldn't see well since everyone looked microscopic, but if I find a pale blonde dot, it can only be Sting. On the other side, I also noticed a crimson dot.

"I'm sorry, Sting," I said to myself as I jumped off from the body of the fire dragon. Sting is okay, I know he is. I have a duty to fulfill, we all have a duty to protect everyone from the threat of Tartaros' Face extermination project. I have to protect the future, Fairy Tail's future, all the guild's future, everyone's ability to live their life. I have no idea how much time went by, but I hope I'm not too late. My heart started racing just by thinking about how an unknown time is approaching until the end of the world. Jetting down onto the surface like a bullet, I started to see things on the ground clearer. I noticed the clock: half an hour suddenly turned to fifteen minutes and I took my aim onto the back of a familiar face... from a mid-air flip, I had my feet down at an angle, and bent my legs so that my knees would land nicely on my target, Belphe, also known as Kyouka of this time. Sounding as if she was frustrated with anger, she was about to swing a slashing attack onto Erza, but I made it just in time.

"Clarion!" Happy exclaimed at the surprised of seeing me fall out from the sky to their hopefully successful rescue.

"Be careful Clarion!" Pantherlily yelled, trying to lift up his tiny little body, but it seemed like they all couldn't get up. "This demon- she-!"

Belphe suddenly twisted her body underneath me and was easily able to slash my arm, forcing me to fall back to avoid more cuts. I wasn't going to pay much attention to it, it was a heavy wound, but I've dealt with worse without crying over it. But then, it started to burn... not the inflammation reaction you get from your body's natural defensive response, but then it became so painful that it was unbearable to even stand. Why did this hurt so much? Is this her curse? Come to think of it, Belphe does look different. Is this her true form? She walked up to me slowly looking down on me as if I was nothing but a bug to her. She looked quite beaten up and I can see her annoyance by it.

"Fighting your enemies by artificially amplifying their sense of pain and taking away their senses to fight back... a sloth's battle," the comments erupted her irritation. She swung a kick at me. She didn't understand why humans were able to compete with her, a demon. I was bearing so much pain from the kick that I couldn't have words come out of my mouth. But she felt like that because that was her sin. A sloth's way to think is simply just believing they are above all and free to do whatever leisure they want. She believes that she does not have to earn or work to be better than other people, it is only because she is an Etherion, she thinks she can have the power. I couldn't stand or fight back anymore, I couldn't push myself further yet. Belphegor noticed that Erza was approaching behind her and quickly turned around, extending the length of her deadly claws, and shred across Erza's body.

"This isn't good!" Lily couldn't bear watching Erza getting attacked like that. "Not only has she amplified her pain... she has raised her own power level..."

"A Curse that will strengthen her power per second...," Minerva observed. From the looks of this, Erza's fall would be imminent. But there is always something about her that always lands her on top no matter what. After taking in a couple attacks, Erza was able to retaliate. By realizing that her enemy has only attacked her upper body, she focused on getting low and striking at the demon's vulnerable spots. That was the flaw that Erza was able to analyze. Kyouka took away her sense to impede her abilities to fight, but left her sense of pain. By using what she has, Erza gained the advantage. She isn't the Queen of Fairies for no reason. She swung a strong kick to Kyouka's chin and while she was stunned from that sudden attack, Erza had enough time to draw forth her blades and give her opponent the taste of defeat by a handicapped fighter.

But it wasn't over. Time was going down rapidly and we were all incapacitated to make a move. But it can't end like this when we got so far. Minerva and I dragged our bodies. Since Belphe was weakened, so was her Curse. Both of us maintained our strength and got on our feet. It hurt like hell, but it was only for a moment. Erza dropped her blades close by which was very convenient for us. We looked at each other in the eye, and knew what we had to do know with the sword in our hands. Without hesitation, Minerva dropped the sharp edge onto her head. A second later, I dropped my body weight onto the sword at her heart. I began to weep quietly in sorrow, dripping my salty tears on her body. I was mourning for her, for Belphe. Despite who she is now, she was still my devil. Instead of Belphe taking herself away from me, I had to take away Kyouka. Did it really have to end this way? End in death?

"I heard you calling Kyouka a sloth," Minerva softly told me. It sounded weird to hear her voice in a calming matter that didn't sound pretentious.

"Yeah," I quickly responded to prevent her from hearing a voice crack.

"I'm sorry," Minerva apologized after realizing the identity of this demon gate.

"Don't be," I took a deep breath. "She's not the same."

I looked down at her, to see her again. Her eyes were closed but her lips were curved. A smile? Was she happy to die like this? Suddenly, a sound similar to an alarm went off, drawing our attention to the clock. I thought it should have been paused or disappeared. Were we too late?

**00:00  
>FACE ON<strong>

_It can't be. I've let loose the Dragon of the Apocalypse and now, I've let down the this entire world. What more can I possibly do to add more suffering to everyone...?_

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><p><strong>Yay! I hope you liked that chapter! To be honest, this would've came out sooner but... it gets really discouraging when you write and write and press save and then... your internet decides to burp... yeah... anyways, thank you all again for taking your time to read this! Hope to bring out the next chapter soon (:<strong>


	24. Chapter 24: A Gift

**Hi guys! Thanks for stopping by to read the next chapter! Take note that in the following chapter, it was 20 minutes prior to the countdown. In this first bit, it will not be under my OC's point of view simply because she wasn't there lol. Next scene change will be through her eyes, don't get confused! Anyways, thank you all again for the likes, follows, favorites, reviews, and what not! Please enjoy, I really hope you like it! Hope its not too OOC!**

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><p>Natsu Dragneel, he is indeed stronger than his enemies' could ever imagine. With his fierce determination, he was able to gain the upper hand when confronting Mard Geer, the Demon King. But with an evaded attack from Mard, the cunning Etherious demon managed to retaliate with his own power. Grabbing Natsu's foot from his Fire Dragon's Claw attack, Mard unleashed his power to drive him down the depths of the ground below them.<p>

"You are no dragon to begin with," he commented on his not-so-worthy opponent. However, just shoving him through the ground was not enough. His opponent had to be eliminated and disposed of to really get rid of him. Jumping down the hole he created, Mard Geer was prepared to attack Natsu once more to finish him off. "Begone, child of dragon."

By utilizing the falling debris of rubble, Mard Geer conjured his thorns to strike out from the terrain to stab through the vulnerable Fire Dragon Slayer. Unable to do anything at this point, Natsu had to brace himself and think quickly before the battle is finished. He was hit by the arms and legs, but right when he was about to be shredded, the thorns were cut through instead. Seeing his attack being countered by the return of the other Dragon Slayers, Mard Geer had to retreat back up to the surface and address the situation. It was three children of dragons versus him now. He jumped to higher ground as the three managed to climb back up. Even if he is a demon, Mard Geer retains his elegant composure. Instead of immediately drawing another attack, he chooses to wait until he is attacked first. He would rather not have his hands dirty.

"Hey, why are you guys here again?" Natsu asked the two Sabertooth tigers ever so casually. He had sniffed their scent prior to this battle and expected their arrival at some point. Seeing them wasn't a surprise, but their intentions may have hit a curiosity side.

"Well, our Lady-," Sting tried to explain a response back to the random question only to be interrupted again. Rogue, on the other hand, was getting quite annoyed at the Fairy Tail member's carefree attitude after just being almost killed and still in the midst of a battle.

"Ah, whatever! This ain't the time for things like that...," Natsu responded with a smile. But then added on after he realized something while looking up at the sky to see a missing Black God Slayer. "Have you seen Clarion?"

"Y-Yeah, well-" the White Dragon Slayer stuttered and scratched the back of his head while looking away at the ground. "She was worn out. I snatched her up and brought her to Erza-san, our Lady, and all of our cats. I haven't seen her since, is she okay?"

"Clarion was with us for awhile," Natsu corrected. "I bet she's going through a lot..."

"Wait what?" Sting stepped forward toward Natsu. "Why? What happened?!"

"Oh," Mard Geer responded from above. "It is quite hard to believe that someone with the likes of her could harbor a dragon in her body. I should have eliminated her when I had her in my thorn's grasp."

Sting was speechless. His eyes were in shock as he was trying to stomach that it was Clarion that released Acnologia within their battle ground. Natsu also disclosed how his beloved dragon father was also hiding inside his body, only to be released after Acnologia escaped from her. The Fire Dragon Slayer placed a hand on Sting's shoulder to reassure that Clarion had nothing to do with it. Like Natsu, she had no idea her body was used as a hiding spot for the dragons. It grew the possibility that the other dragons that disappeared on July 7, X777 also hid in their respective children, however, this would not be something that Sting and Rogue could relate to. Their dragon parents had to succumb to death before they had the chance to disappear with the rest of the dragons of the world, other than Acnologia of course. Sting released a large sigh, calming himself down. His concern for Clarion grew more. He knew he had some relationship with everything that has been going on with Tartaros, but they are just both learning the details behind it. He looked up at Mard Geer, the man that has been causing this chaos for Clarion and the rest of the world. He looked back at Natsu, whom he recognized as his superior, with a stern look and closed fists.

"Let's fight him together, Natsu-san," he said with a look of determination and new found will to protect those he cared about. Mard Geer was already a tough opponent when he was against two Dragon Slayers with the odds not exactly on the human side.

"We can beat him 3 against 1," Rogue added. Natsu pondered at the idea and agreed that it would be a good idea to go toward that route to defeat the Underworld King, however, he rejected it to the further annoyances of the twin dragons. Since defeating Mard Geer was a job that Igneel personally sent Natsu to do, he would not give up his pride and allow someone else to help him. "This is no time for games!"

"Then, how about this...," Sting, not as agitated as Rogue was, knowing that Natsu would be this kind of person summed up a plan for him to allow them to fight alongside him through a competition. "Whoever gets to this guy first would be the winner. How about that? You versus the two of of us."

With a competition being the only way to let Natsu have the Sabertooth dragons included in the battle, the three were off the tackle the demon. Struggling at first, but by catching him off guard using two of them as distractions, Sting was able to land a blowing kick at Mard into a wall of debris. As he emerged from the wreck, a new expression was shown on his face. The smile was wiped off from his mouth and instead came a face of widened eyes and a frown. His dormant feeling of anger was erupting in the face of three dragon children. With everything happening, he was tired of everyone doing so as they pleased on his terrain. Natsu was glad to see this, only to view it as a way for Mard Geer's demonic sense to come in terms with humanity. However, Mard Geer was still resisting to submit to his humane emotions. In his belief, those kinds of feelings would only cloud his thoughts and focus. Despite having a deadly set of eyes on him, he kept a smile forced on his face. He was beginning to lose himself, he was beginning to lose his pride as the Demon King, as a trusted leader in Master E.N.D.'s absence. Politely, he placed the book of E.N.D. to the side as he sat down in his throne, the only place he rightfully feels like being in.

"I will eliminate this emotion you call 'anger' along with your pitiful existence," the Etherion exclaimed with an eerie tone. With a lift of his arm, he conjured a tornado-like twister with the use of his thorns and vines. It overwhelmed the three dragons, but Natsu got through to him. As soon as he got close to his face, he used his Dragon roar to propel Mard Geer in the sky in which the twin Dragons would combine their power with Holy Dragon Flash Fang. With Mard in mid air and in plain sight, it would guarantee a landing blow. The mix of light and dark was a beautiful sight in Mard Geer's eyes to which he merely absorbed it inside of him to negate its devastating effects from touching him. The Sabertooth members awed in shock as they saw their power useless, but this was a good enough distraction for Natsu to fall on top of him with a combined power of two Dragon Slayers, Lightning Fire strike. However, this also proved to be a useless attack. Mard looked back with a smile as he blew away Natsu with a simple push and falling gracefully back onto his throne, leg over leg. The three Dragon Slayers regrouped together, taking this time to recuperate while Mard Geer took this opportunity to rejoice on his throne.

"What are you ever planning to do by erasing Magic here...?" Sting asked.

"Oh? I didn't tell you?" he responded. "By taking away Magic, the seal on Master E.N.D. will be neutralized."

"That book?" Natsu asked for clarification. Not taking offense to Natsu's comment, the Demon King only reassured him that E.N.D. only looks like that now. In reality, he is the strongest demon from the books of Zeref. He also revealed that written in every mind of Zeref's demons comes the obsession with returning to him. In every one of these demons he created came with the strong desire to be with their creator again.

"All these feelings connect to the same truth...," he explained further. "Zeref cursed himself for becoming immortal and thus, invented creations that would kill him: the demons from his books. Master E.N.D. was Zeref's final masterpiece until it ended up being sealed with a spell that cannot be broken in a Magic-filled continent. After we erase such an existence, E.N.D. will finally be released and reborn to defeat Zeref. This is his wish, and his wish is our calling."

"A fight to defeat Zeref...?" Natsu said with a quiet tone as he remembered his encounters with Zeref.

"Why are you involving people with your business?" Sting questioned only to be responded with an arrogant comment about weeds. He cursed at the Demon King's intentions. "This is all a lie."

"Oh?" Mard Geer's ears perked, lifting his head up slightly to get a good look at the Sabertooh Master.

"Zeref's greatest creation is Clarion, not that stupid book, not any of you. She is the embodiment of his pride and humanity. He succumbed to darkness and created all of you so he can be destroyed. But in the end, Clarion is the only one that wants Zeref to keep living. Clarion is his only savior."

"What would a human understand about the suffering of immortality?" Mard scoffed off his comments.

"What would a demon understand about love?" Sting retorted back, clenching his teeth.

With that comment, the Demon King utilized the weed he conjured up earlier to whip the Twin Dragons and then evolving it into a bloomed flower of the Underworld. It gave another nice whip at Natsu, but before Mard could demonstrate its powers, it suddenly froze in ice and fell apart. Natsu was in shocked, but snapped out of it when he felt a soft fabric land on his shoulders, Igneel's scarf. He turned around to see his counterpart, Gray Fullbuster. Emerging from his encounter with his father, Silver, the now Ice Devil Slayer is ready to help defeat the demon leader. Freezing Mard's arm, even he was in shock to see someone with such a power. Gray rushed forward using his Ice Geyser. With the added boost from the Devil Slaying Magic it was amplified with power. The pride loving demon recognized it as Silver's Magic, realizing that his instinct of his Demon Gate's betrayal would come true. Breaking free, he retaliated with a twist of thorns, but they froze in a instant much to his first look of fear. With his guard down from this new enemy, he was hit more with Gray's new Magic, but before he could land a fatal blow, the Fairy Tail Mage was struck down by a new opponent for the humans. A familiar face, Gemma. Unlike Minerva, Gemma accepted his transition from human to demon all in the purpose of being the strongest.

"A new demon with power that surpasses even the Nine Demon gates... meet Tartaros' newest member," Mard Geer, keeping his elegance and manners, properly introduced Gemma as a new demon. Although, Gemma had no intentions of staying as a subordinate level promised the Underworld King that he will be his next opponent after he is done with his former Sabertooth underlings. Natsu, sensing the hesitation of Sting and Rogue, had to snap them out of it by yelling and rushing forward to meet Gemma's fist only to be easily flown away. Sting and Rogue rushed at their former Master but instead, their heads where caught in his grip and smashed together leaving a painful sensation. The White and Shadow Dragons claimed Gemma as their opponent as they allow the Fairy Tail members to take on the king. Each guild had their own teams with different, but complimentary magic: light and dark, fire and ice.

"So, you dragged the Lady into this mess as well?" Sting questioned as he dodged a ground hitting attack from Gemma.

"She was no use at all. How foolish of me to believe she would be more powerful as a demon," he commented with Rogue angrily reminding him that she is his daughter, not a tool of power. "No, her only purpose in this world is to be strong and carry on the dominant bloodline."

That comment boiled their anger. They could not take hearing his voice any longer. His obsession with power was stronger than they could ever realize. They exchanged attacks but Gemma easily overpowered them. His own disappointment and rage grew against the double Dragons. He claimed that they ruined the guild, allowing it to succumb to what he thought of was weak. Sabertooth was a guild that he created with the intent of having it be the strongest it can ever be. All of his work was put to failure and was forced to leave to find stronger means to be more powerful. Coming back to see his guild, he sees it being over run by children that have a different mindset. Sting and Rogue were jokes to him. He was a shame to once call them strong beings who dominated his guild.

"We were weak, its true," Sting slowly got up on his feet bleeding everywhere from his head, arms, and feet. He was trembling a bit from the injuries he sustained. He panted a bit to pick up his strength back. "But our weakness is nothing like the one you speak of. That weakness was what we were under your control. We're not going back to be what Sabertooth use to be; a guild that thought nothing of their own."

"In order to truly be a strong guild...," Rogue said as he got up from the rubble. "You have to start from zero."

Sting and Rogue both joined Sabertooth while it was already at its development. Gemma will never admit it, but because of their recruitment, they allowed Sabertooth to be the strongest guild in Fiore. They're not going to cut through corners again by recruiting only strong people. They are going to focus on their members and treat everybody with the love and respect they deserve while being in a guild. Gemma only laughed at this remark and only allowed the title for the strongest guild to be reserved for him. Sting and Rogue retorted at him that a truly strong guild was right beside them in this battle. They felt grateful to have met strong, honest, and a loving guild that filled everyone with a warm home and family. They thought of Natsu, Gray, and Erza... and also Clarion.

"ENOUGH!" Gemma had enough of hearing lecture he did not follow. He slashed their arms with only his bare hands, but they kept standing, not taking their eyes off of their opponent. "Only one person can be the strongest! Relying on others is a sign of weakness! You fools are the ULTIMATE WEAKLINGS!"

"Even if we are living for the sake of someone else, learning to love another is a reason to stay alive!" Sting yelled back. Gemma smashed the ground to prevent hearing from another word. He had enough of hearing this and that about love, about bonds, about others. He thought back to the time when his guild was at its prime. During the times of the Grand Magic Games, he remember a particular figure that opened herself to the guild. The first non-Sabertooth member that ever gotten close to the guild, Clarion. Thinking about her made his blood boil, it was all because of her that made his guild weak. "Clarion and the rest of Fairy Tail opened our eyes, gave us their hand, showed us the right path."

"It was because of her involvement with the guild that caused all of you to be weak! I should have gotten rid of her when I had the chance!"

"Have you forgotten that I got rid of you when you did that to her and Lector?" Sting asserted. The flashback of that moment when Gemma actually fell to one of his guild members tipped him over the edge. That memory of being struck down by one attack by Sting haunted him. In a loud roar, he heard enough, he was the strongest and that was that. He was not going to let anyone stand in his way or make him think otherwise. That scar that left him filled with hate and disillusionment. He always thought that because of his strong bloodline, his purpose was to be the strongest. When he fell in the hands of a stronger opponent, when his strongest guild lost to the weakest guild, when his daughter could not meet up to his expectations, when he realized he was not strong, everything he worked for was for nothing because there will always be someone bigger than you. With this pain taking over his life, he was his own weakness, and they knew it.

"We'll stitch that wound of yours...," Rogue announced as he and Sting prepared to take Gemma down.

"... with a bond of black and white!" Sting finished the sentence as their White Shadow Dragon Silk spell was complete. Their hands became the medium for the thread-like strips of Magic to flow from their hands. Thin beams of Magic penetrated the demon, giving him grievous wounds and stealing his strength. The deadly attack was enough to take out Gemma in one go, the strength and bond the two shared was enough to defeat him. The bond of black and white was always something that Sting would describe Clarion, she was an embodiment of black and white. Without her, Sting and Rogue would have went on different paths. The two fell to the ground as their own strength was depleted from Gemma's torment.

"Sting...," Rogue called out to his partner after hitting the ground. Sting on the other hand, was struggling so hard to stay standing. At a time like this, Clarion would show up to catch him from falling, like what he always did to her. But as his legs gave in, Sting hit the floor, a feeling that he never wanted his girl to feel. But they weren't under normal circumstances. He cursed at himself for getting beat up so much that he doesn't have enough strength to protect Clarion, but he knew she wouldn't want him to feel that way. She would understand that they cannot always be there for each other while other things are in the way. All he had to do was cling onto life, she'd call him stupid again if he were to succumb to his wounds like this. He had to be strong for her like how she is for him.

"Yeah... Rogue?" Sting responded back, his voice slightly muffled from his face being planted on the ground.

"Thanks," the Shadow Dragon Slayer said with a soft smile while looking up at the sky. Even though the battle wasn't over, he was finally relieved that his internal battle was finished. That fear he felt when seeing his old Master again brought chills to him, and he was able to conquer it. He didn't succumb to the shadows and fought with the full force of his own power. It may not show it, but Rogue has always been afraid about the strength of his bonds with other people. Like the shadows, he always hid himself and his feelings. In fear, he felt as if he did not have strong connections like the close-knit love Fairy Tail had. At least now, he can breathe and realize that his brotherly friendship with Sting was more than just being partners. They were a duo that no one could break. And Rogue had to thank his long term companion for all the time they spent together. He never felt closer to Rogue than right now. To two were side by side, they fought together, they also fall together. They grew so much stronger over the past recent times. Although, Rogue would never say it or admit it, but he's been slowly moving on from his little crush on Clarion. It may be a dark thing to think about, but maybe that was something that fueled Rogue's weakness to his shadow. Maybe unrequited affection and the loss of Frosch were the two things that tipped him over the edge. But no... he must not let that happen. He does a good job of hiding feelings, but he admires her and understands why Sting likes her so much. He and Clarion share similar Magic, Shadow and Black, both are powers of darkness. He grew weak to the power of his shadow and became swallowed up with it. He would have ended up being a man who was full of hate and thirsty for power. Clarion, on the other hand, was able to find a balance. The two were similar in a way. They both needed that light to mix with their dark and they both saw it with Sting. The White Dragon Slayer may not see it, but he means more to them than he would ever imagine. He supported Rogue despite the knowledge that he would eventually kill him. He would never believe such a thing and made promise to never let his partner follow that road. He would also in turn, make a promise to always protect the people he love. He'll never let anything happen to Sting, Frosch, Yukino, their Lady, and people in Fairy Tail. The duo wanted to be men who cherishes his friends and this moment felt like the most they have done in a long time for other people. Even after what they had both been through, they promised each other that the future would never end up grim as long as they were together looking out for one another. Rogue closed his eyes with no sight but the shadows. He felt right being in this world for the first time in a long while.

"You too," Sting responded closing his eyes as well while rolling onto his back. His arms were open wide and took in a big sigh. Like Rogue, he had a sense of redemption after all the wrong he had done while being under Gemma's command. He was under his ideal for a long time and no one really broke him out of that. It was Clarion that showed him the right path, the feeling of love and being loved, and how much it mattered to care for other people. It was a warm feeling that he hasn't felt from other girls that he played around with. She was the light that Sting never saw within himself even if his element was the holy light. He was happy to have come so far with his friends. The man he thought was the most powerful being in the world, Gemma, was defeated his the hands of him and someone he would call his best friend. He was proud that he was able to do all of that without the use of Dragon Force or his drive. His life was finally coming to meaning and he looks forward to the future experiencing it. He knew that he could trust Fairy Tail in defeating Tartaros. It will be Fairy Tail that will save all of their futures. And yet... "I hope Clarion is okay..."

"She is," Rogue reassured his partner. The answer through Sting off a bit. He was usually the one that always knew that Clarion is strong, tough girl that can handle whatever is thrown her way. He would obviously be the closest one to her, and he just found it weird having someone else tell him that is girlfriend is okay. Although he didn't do anything about it, he realized that Clarion was an impact on everyone's lives, not just his. Thinking back to the days when she invited herself as a guest in the guild, she realized all the friendships she has made with everyone. Despite all the arrogant impressions Sabertooth has left during the games, she still considered Sabertooth as her buddies, her close friends. Sting and Fairy Tail weren't the only things in her life that she cares deeply for. She also cares about his guild, the guild he is now Master of, and also Zeref. He knew very well that Sting wasn't the only thing in her heart.

Sting thought back to the day when Clarion and Natsu crashed his guild at the Crocus Gardens on that night when Gemma excommunicated Yukino. He remembered those words she said to him, to all of Sabertooth.

_"You are not a guild, Sabertooth. This guild will never surpass Fairy Tail, you will never be better than us."_

She was right, Sabertooth will never surpass Fairy Tail, but... he knew that she was proud of Sabertooth. If she was here, that is what she would say. She would tell him that Sabertooth is a guild, a real guild with real people. The thought of her praise and respect for the guild now made him feel at ease. For a chunk of their relationship, he was being the wrong person to her. At least now, he is proud of the leaf he turned over: with the help of Rogue along with their Exceeds, they converted the guild to what it should be, apologized for what he has done and not done, and made up for everything.

Back with Natsu and Gray, the two were beginning to turn the tables against Mard, however, despite their counter attacks, he still stood tall and proud. The Fairy Tail S-Class potential Mages were getting exhausted. After giving him a powerful attack, the Etherion kept his composure and seemed unharmed in contrast to the heavily wounded fire ice tag team. To Natsu, he seemed like an immortal creature at this point. Someone being able to withstand both their power combined is unthinkable. Gray, on the other hand, knew that he could defeat Mard Geer with his Devil Slaying Magic, however, it does not surpass Mard's speed. The Magic is pointless if it can't hit its target. There was a temporary stand off, no one from either party was attacking further, only the exchanges of stares. Mard was entertained. He noticed something was happening with Kyouka, but did not interfere with it. He understood her feelings now, whether or not she denies it. Humans are interesting species that managed to tap into Mard's sense of fun.

"A long time ago, Magic was born as one...," Mard spoke. "Eventually, it developed into many different kinds of Magic. And historically, E.N.D. created a new possibility for Magic: Curses. The source for that new power came from actual "curses." The feelings of pride, envy, lust, greed, wrath, gluttony, sloth... all those sins make them stronger. They are based off of the nature of life and its negativity."

"Sins...," Natsu whispered to himself. "Like Clarion's spirits."

"We are far more superior than those devils..."

"Who cares!" he raised his voice. "Magic will create the future!"

"Magic has no future," Mard simply responded as a mist-like substance formed around Natsu and Gray. They were immobilized, unable to defend themselves. The mist grew bigger and bigger and even darken in color. The look of fear was visible for the first time on the Fairy Tail Mages during this fight. Their breathing became uncontrollable and their hearts were beating irregularly. Their insides were throbbing and shuddering as the thought of their future became so grim. "Fall into purgatory. This is the Curse I devised specifically to destroy Zeref... the memory of death."

_Memento Mori. _A spiral of pure death emerged. Little ghosts of despair and destruction as all those negative feelings overwhelmed whoever was inside. This was the concept that Mard came up with. Zeref, the Black Mage, was the master at life and death. In order to destroy him, you have to destroy the notion of life and death. Without those things, there is nothing to exist, only a vanishing act. If Zeref is immortal, death will mean nothing become he will only come back alive. The only answer is for him to simply disappear from the world neither living nor dead. As Gray and Natsu began to dwindle away in the vortex, their future was taken from them. As Mard Geer expected, they ceased to exist. Now that he knows he has mastered his ultimate Curse, he is free to come forth with his mission to eliminate Zeref. He reverted back to his human form and proceeded back to his throne where he belonged. He had no more time for humans.

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><p><strong>Slap.<strong>

"OWW," The stinging pain on the White Dragon Slayer caused his eyes to shot open and his body twitch up. It wasn't like a hard slap, more like a not so gentle wake up slap. Hearing his partner cry in pain caused his partner to open his eyes as well and look over to see what was going on.

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><p><em>The 00:00 suddenly start to revert back. One minute was given back, then it became five, ten, and then fifteen, and then it stopped at twenty. I looked back down on Kyouka's body. There was still a smile on her face and then I slowly see her barely crack open one eye to look at me. Blood continued to drip from the edge of her crimson red lips causing me to reach over to wipe it off. This was her doing. She fused with the Face trigger and she is in control of when it will go off. She was the one that brought us our time back. But why? I thought she was bent on being with Zeref again that she was okay with giving her life in order to achieve it. With the life she is barely hanging onto, and with no time to spare, she used up all her strength to give us fifteen minutes to stop Face. <em>

_"Consider this...," she barely coughed out to say. The power that an Etherion has to be able to do something like this amazes me. Being stabbed in the head and in the heart, a normal human would die in an instant. Although, Kyouka is definitely not going to survive with these two wounds... she is using the last bit of consciousness she has for me, for us. "A gift... Claire-chan."_

_And with that, this time, she really did leave me again. Not Kyouka, but Belphe... does this mean that I can somehow tap into all the other devils? Or does it mean I can only get through them when they have nothing left to lose... What does all of this mean? I started to tremble at this chilling feeling. However, looking around... what would 20 minutes give us? None of us are in a position to fight another opponent... Erza and Mira were exhausted as well as the rest of us. But I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder and I looked over to see it was Minerva trying to be comforting. She told me that it was okay. We're not the only people that are battling against Tartaros. She was right... there was Natsu, Gray... and... Sting and Rogue. Sting... I had to see him. In these 20 minutes... if I can't do anything... I might as well.. be with him..._

_"Lector... Frosch... let's go," for a second, they didn't know what I was talking about all of a sudden. But as they saw me trying to get back on my legs, they immediately sprouted their Aera wings to help lift my arms up. I was looking around my surroundings to see which direction I should be walking in. Sting, along with Rogue, should somewhat be in the same area as they were when we separated. The thing was... I kinda been all over the place. Thinking back to when I was up in the air and had an aerial view of everyone, I remembered that I spotted Sting's blonde hair... and then Erza's scarlet red hair. When I landed down on Kyouka's back, Sting should be west. The moment I took a step, I paused. I looked back at everyone and I started to feel terrible... how could I leave them behind? I can't... I-_

_"Go," Minerva said without turning her head to look back at me. My heart was beating harder, I was afraid of going._

_"We'll be fine, Clarion," Mirajane added while struggling to move her body. Seeing all of this didn't help me taking another step at all. My legs were shaking so much. Why were they telling me to go? Why are they so willing to leave themselves vulnerable for enemies to attack them? If anything were to happen to them, I would never forgive myself for leaving them behind. Sting would understand if I'm not there, right? I want to go to him. I want to see him. I want to be there for him but... I don't know what my priorities should be. I can't leave them behind when they need me. I have to protect them. _

_"We'll be fine...," Minerva repeated, but in a more stern attitude. She was not joking around and didn't want me to take their word lightly. Its not that I think they're weak... these two are extremely powerful and are capable fighters. However, they're not in any mint condition to. "We will protect them."_

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><p>Frosch came to Rogue's side, giving him a hug and crying to see his best friend all beaten up and down. In turn, the Shadow Dragon Slayer was concerned with Frosch's sake when he saw him slightly hurt from the effects of Kyouka's Curse. He badmouthed the Etherion for causing harm for his friends, but I didn't say anything about it. I let Sting's head rest on my lap and I held his cheek in my hand. I didn't say anything to him, only stared at his scratched up and bloodied face that I subconsciously wiped off. Lector was quiet as well. I felt so guilty leaving the others... what if an enemy got to them? They would be done for. But... Minerva and Mirajane wanted us to go... and I still left. Why am I so selfish? Why aren't I doing anything to help stop Face? Why... don't I have the strength and courage... to do something? To leave them behind and make something worth my time...? Why am I starting to believe that there is no hope left and... I just wanted to spend the last moments of whatever life I have left with Sting...? All these thoughts and questions in my mind kept overwhelming my emotions. Since I had my head down looking at Sting, the water in my eyes fell to gravity onto his face. He noticed this and forgot about the pain on his cheek when I accidentally used too much force in the slap.<p>

"I'm happy you're here, so stop crying," he said. Just looking at him also fueled my crying... he's so wounded... and he used all that ointment he had on me and Minerva. He reached up to my face and wiped off a tear that was about to fall. I looked over to side to see someone else that was also pretty bloodied up and collapsed on the ground. Sting saw what I was looking at and tapped on my cheek. "That was Master."

"G-Gemma?" I was surprised at this. Well, it would make sense how Minerva ended up here, her father would also be around too I suppose. I looked back at Sting to see him smiling. He seemed very happy and proud to have defeated him after the things he did to the guild. From the looks of it, he also turned into a demon like how Minerva ended up. He was already powerful to begin with, I can only imagine how much more power he gained from the conversion.

"His power surpassed the Nine Demon Gates," Rogue looked over and said.

"Power stronger than those demons... I'm proud," a few more tears streamed down my face as I held Sting's hand tighter. I smiled softly at him. Sting gave back a proud smile as he heard me expressed how happy I was to see Sabertooth grow so stronger, even without Gemma.

"Face...," I looked back down at Sting who grew concerned at the sudden shift of emotion. "The time keeps going down... I couldn't do anything... the-"

"Natsu-san and Gray-san will do something about it, I know they will," Sting said confidently. With him having his full faith in those two made me feel silly. Someone outside of the guild has more conviction in its members than I do. He wiped off another tear that was beginning to dribble down. I didn't want to be so over-confident with this. I didn't want to underestimate Tartaros and their capabilities. I wanted to have faith in us, I do... but I want to be realistic.

"But-"

"Whatever happens, I love you," hearing those words made my tears run down even faster. Sting couldn't wipe all of them away and started to fall on his face. He didn't seem to mind it, but even he knows he has no idea what to do with a crying girl. I managed to break out an 'I love you too' response. I looked back up to remember that Rogue, Lector, and Frosch were also here and told them that I loved everyone here. I realized that... there will be no way that anyone would let Tartaros get what they want. I can't have anyone take this away from me... I can do something right?

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><p><strong>Woo, sorry to have end it there! But thank you guys so much for the patience! ... now I have to ask you for more patience in awaiting the next chapters... poop! Hopefully the chapters will have an ample amount of information and story progression that it will give me something to work on. I feel like I just set up a love triangle... LOL. Thank you guys so much for all the support, I really appreciate them all! Thank you for reading my story and I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving (unless you're like Canadian or something... then... happy almost end of November) hehe.<strong>


	25. Chapter 25: New Beginning

**Hello you wonderful people! I apologize for the rather long wait... a VERY VERY VERY VERY LONG WAIT... but I hope you all had a great holiday... Please enjoy your new year and I hope you also enjoy the first chapter of 2015! Aha, thanks again for all the support! Enjoy the story! Again, I am so sorry for the long wait! My hard drive also died on me and I lost a big chunk of what I wrote... poop. **

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><p>I didn't want to waste another moment. I wanted to help, but Sting only grabbed onto my arm to prevent me from getting up. I was in no condition to do a full on battle, but even Sting knew I wouldn't care. Tears started streaming down my cheeks as the thoughts of a possible apocalypse could be bound to happen. I held him tightly in my arms and continued to sob. I was terrified and scared. There was nothing Sting could do but let me hold him as it could be our last moment together. This was so much to bear that I did not even want to open my eyes and look behind me. Natsu and Gray were going at Mard Geer in the last battle before the activation of the Face. I could hear grunts and cries, explosions of sort. The breeze coming from the shock waves of power could be felt against my back. Sting could feel how much I was shaking at the anticipation of what's to come. Do I really not have enough faith in Natsu and Gray? It is true that I am still a fairly new member of Fairy Tail and I have yet to seen the limits of the Fire Dragon Slayer and Ice-Make Mage, but even Sting had full confidence in them. I heard the sounds of fighting stop and decided to look back to see the damage. But to my relief and somewhat a bit of a surprise, instead of seeing nothing but casualties, it was more like I was witnessing two children bickering.<p>

"I said, _I'm_ destroying it,"Gray pressed on.

"Cut the crap!" Natsu demanded as his body was trembling while trying to get up. I limped over the debris and went to Natsu's aid. I helped him get up since there was no chance arguing at him to not move. The two were so busy getting at each other that they didn't even greet me. Rude. "Igneel asked _me_ to take it back to him."

Though, Gray was not bullshitting around as Natsu was thinking he was. He held in his hands the very book of E.N.D. and was definitely not joking about destroying it himself. He argued how that this torn and battered book was the one thing that created Tartaros. With all the damage that the followers of Zeref has done, Gray claimed that it was all the reason enough to destroy it. The son of Igneel did not care for his reasons, a promise was a promise, especially how this was the first time in over a decade that he has seen his father. However, this also applied to Gray and his promise made to his own father. I had no say in this. Their love for their fathers was incredibly strong and there was no simple answer to this. Though, I just sighed at this stupid bickering. Can't they just use both their power at the same time to destroy it? Zeref did raise me too, maybe I had all the right to destroy it too, whatever. But then, there was something that was able to bring this childish argument to an end.

"Face," I said as the countdown to the activation of all the Magic destroying devices went to zero. It was the end for the world of Magic. Everyone's efforts had become futile. Despite Mard Geer's defeat, he was still able to keep that stupid, little face of his.

"This is only the beginning. The disappearance of Magic will eventually become "emptiness" and E.N.D. shall resurrect by feeding off all that energy...," the Underworld King said as if he was narrating a movie. He looked over with confident eyes and sly smirk. "... and when the strongest Etherious rises, you humans will not have the defense you call Magic."

We had nothing to say back to him. We felt so useless at this point. We had no more options and we were in the dead of helplessness. Natsu cursed out loud to release this build up of emotion, but just as he slammed to the ground, two dragons came crashing down right in front of him. Any close, and the Fire Dragon Slayer would have been crushed by the massive size of the Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia. The sudden cries of Igneel, Natsu's father, roaring out to the humans to not give up snapped everyone out of our hopeless trance and speechless fears. Could the Flame Dragon have something up his sleeve? He may be an extremely powerful being, but what could he possibly do about all the Faces that are activating all over the continent? We could already feel the power draining out of our bodies. But then, the Magic siphoning atmosphere had halted. My train of thought broke when I felt Sting try to get up. I look back down on him and saw him struggle to get up. He seemed so determined that I couldn't tell him to just stay down. I had enough strength to stand a little bit, so I slung his arm over my shoulders and helped him up. Rouge managed to sit up as we all just stared at the scene.

"I-I... I can feel Weisslogia...," Sting said with hesitation as I looked dumbfounded at him. What exactly was happening?

"The dragons that you freed...," The Flame Dragon said in a low tone. "... are dancing in the skies of Ishgar!"

We all looked up and saw miracles flying through the air. They looked tiny, but we all knew what it was. Every dragon that is associated to everyone here was soaring throughout the continent and most likely taking care of Face themselves. With Wendy, Gajeel, Sting and Rouge's dragons... they brought back our faith. It was extremely astonishing how much ground dragons can cover. Before we knew it, they had already taken care of everything. Face was no longer a threat and we all had our peace of mind again. With our adrenaline cooled off a bit, we could finally calm down. Everyone's efforts was heard, and we were able to stop Tartaros' plan. Sting looked up at the foster father of his idol who was pinning down Acnologia.

"Weisslogia... is still alive?" Sting questioned. The third generation Dragon Slayers were different from the first generation. Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy had their foster parent dragon disappear from their lives without a trace on the same date. Sting and Rouge, on the other hand, witnessed first hand of the death of their dragon parents. Though, Igneel had explained that all of them were sleeping inside their respective Dragon Slayer through a sealing spell in order to prevent them from becoming dragons themselves like what had happened to Acnologia.

"But that doesn't explain why...," I glanced for a split second at the blue and black dragon. "... why Acnologia was inside of me..."

"He had other plans. But the rest of us had another reason why he had to sleep inside of you all. I-"

Before Igneel could finish his explanation, Acnologia took advantage of the moment to snap at the dragon pinning him down. There was no time to have a conversation anymore and the Flame Dragon only demanded that we take care of the book of E.N.D. that was lying around. And once again, the two ended up continuing their bickering about who was gonna destroy it. Even the twin dragons were starting to get tired of their childishness. Gray held it tight in his hands, but then it suddenly vanished. Natsu assumed it was a trick the Ice-Make Mage was pulling, but there was no way he could have done something like that.

"This book is mine," a familiar voice said. "So, I'm taking it back."

We all turned over to see the man behind the voice and it was already who I thought it was. Everyone else had a shocked expression on their faces, even Mard Geer. I wasn't expecting him to show his face, but I'm not surprised that he did either. He did not say a word to me and only went on to whatever he wanted to say.

"You did well, Mard Geer. You may sleep now," with a lift of his hand. Zeref managed to seal up the pseudo-leader of Tartaros into his own little book. Everyone started growing rage against him because it was his creations that caused all of this. If he had the ability to seal them up like that... why did we have to go through all of this suffering?

"I wanted to finish my fight with you today," Zeref said. At first I thought he was talking to me, but his body was pointing in the direction of Natsu. Why Natsu? He looked up at the sky where the two dragons were battling it out and continued to say whatever stream was flowing through his consciousness. "But Acnologia got in the way... will he end history once again? Or will a miracle happen? I'm not sure."

"What are you saying?" Natsu took the words right out of my mouth. None of us could make out what the hell he was talking about? Has Acnologia ended history before? What miracle happened to stop it?

"Zeref...," I called out to him.

"If you can survive this desperate situation... I will give you more despair," he said with a sinister look on his face. I couldn't control myself anymore. I couldn't hold back anymore. In seconds, I let down Sting to sit as I used all the strength I had to quickly appear before him and slap him across the face. How dare he say that... especially in front of me. I don't know what kind of image he wanted to paint in front of everyone's mind, but I won't buy any of it. Just what he said made me so angry and I had watery eyes, but no tears dripping. He made no effort to look back at me. His head stood in the same position when I slapped him across the face. He only moved his hand up to hold my wrist, probably to prevent a double slap. Smart man.

"What game are you trying to play?" the agitation in my voice echoed in everyone's mind. No one had really seen me this mad, not even when Sabertooth and Fairy Tail had that conflict during the Grand Magic Games. This was on another level. This Zeref in front of me did not seem real. I can see right through him. "Why do you always put yourself as the bad guy?"

"...," he was silent, but at least he turned around to look at me for a few seconds. He bowed his head slightly to be adjacent with mine in order to keep his voice low, allowing me to only hear him. "The ties between those with good hearts are held stronger when they have one common adversary. Be close to the ones you love, and let those who love you be closer. Your destiny will fall right into your hands, Clarion."

He placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled softly. I only looked at him with a melancholy aura around me. His words somewhat made sense to me, but I always believed he could do right in the world. Despite how he feels that the world will never forgive him, he can still do something to make a world a better place without destroying it first. I sighed at his response. I'm glad that my instinct was correct and Zeref is only volunteering himself to be the face of evil... but it makes me sad that in this world, only a mutual enemy is needed to create allies. I sighed and took a step back, but I attempted to land a punch on him. It was a way for me to let out these conflicting feelings I had inside, but to also play along with his crap. No matter how much I'm against him doing this for the greater good, there is nothing I can do but to support him. With that being said, he took the opportunity to dodge it and make it look like he's mocking me.

"Thank you," he said quietly again to make me the only one to hear. Using this opportunity, he turned his back on me and slowly walked away and eventually disappeared without any interruption. I dropped on all fours and began to repeatedly slam my fist on the ground. The eyes of everyone here grew more agitated from his leave. But I can't do anything about it. This is the most I can do. Zeref wants everyone against him to retain their good nature and close bonds. I would say there is another way. But is there really?

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><p>After assessing the situation and reassembling with the rest of Fairy Tail, the dragons have also came over to meet their respective children. Seeing so many dragons (that aren't trying to destroy humanity) was a very pleasant sight, especially when they were the ones that helped us defeat the activation of Face. I stood by Sting as he was still in shock at how his foster father was still alive. Weisslogia looked very beautiful. Pure white, like his Magic, with wings reminiscent to that of an angel. He looked wise and intelligent, makes me wonder how Sting ended up how he was while he was raised by him.<p>

"I'm pretty sure I killed you...," Sting said rather boldly to Weisslogia followed by Rouge's own experience of witnessing Skiadrum's death. The twin Dragon Slayers' use to abide to the fact that they killed Dragons in order to feel superior to the first generation Dragon Slayers. Although they admitted that their murder was premeditated by their fathers, they still witnessed their deaths instead of experiencing the disappearance.

"We can alter human memory essentially at will," the White Dragon revealed with a smile on his face. Igneel was apparently against him and Skiadrum from doing so. But ultimately, they chose to do so in order to get them stronger. It a sense, I guess it kinda worked. But in the end, I bet the two were glad to see their foster fathers nonetheless.

"Can you alter Sting's memory to make him not remember he's such an idiot?" I jokingly asked with Sting cupping my mouth to silence me. It was cute seeing him embarrassed like this. I couldn't help but muffle my giggles in his hand as he started giving me a noogie to mess with me.

"Is this your lady, Sting?"

"Yeah, isn't she something?" he responded back almost sounding like he's ashamed of me. Of course I know he's joking.

But with that, the dragons had to leave eventually as they could not stay materialized in this world any longer. With their souls extracted by Acnologia, their life span has shortened considerably low only to utilize their children to prolong their love. At least this time, they will be able to say goodbye to their beloved parent instead of them disappearing without notice. It was a sad, but enlightening moment as the dragons promised to always protect humanity as they grew to love us. And I promise too, to always protect those I love despite technically being a Black Mage. This Magic does not dictate who I am, it is how I use it. And although one day, I may have to face Zeref one day. I hope the next time, I will help him find a way to move on in the afterlife. I think we will all try our best to be stronger now. There will many more hardships to face in the future with stronger people and malicious intentions.

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><p>But a week later, nothing got better. Everyone took that week to recover a bit before moving onto our normal routines as if our lives were going back to normal. Makarov, along with most of the guild, looked down at the rubble and damage caused by Tartaros. It felt almost futile to rebuild the building again if it will just get destroyed by some other mess we'll get involved with. Clean up and construction plans were delayed by Master, but not for the reason we all thought. The next day, we all got word that Fairy Tail is now disbanded. It was heartbreaking to hear news like that. But everyone seemed understanding. Why does it matter if a name is no longer a legal guild anymore? Isn't it about who sticks together than makes up a guild? Can't the rest of us just stay close collectively? But no one else seemed to have the same idea as everyone had new goals and new paths they want to take. It is strange, but perhaps Fairy Tail was the one thing that held everyone back from pursuing what they really wanted to do? I didn't want to think like that about the guild. It was a really warm place where everyone called home. But since Fairy Tail was no longer a guild, there was no way for people to send in their requests. We don't have the means to make a living anymore and I suppose that alone is what forces all of us to separate. But before I could even think of a place to go, I already had a certain someone ready to claim me. A few days later, I was sitting on a bed, hugging my legs, and my head buried in my own body. An idiot sat behind me and wrapped his arms around me with his head resting on my head. He knew very well that I was going through a lot and wanted to provide as much support as he can. He didn't say a word, but at times, I wish he did because I didn't really know what to say.<p>

"... Sting...," I said with my voice muffled. He responded to me to make sure I knew that he was listening. "What should I do now?"

"Whatever you want to do. No matter what you decide, I'll be with you."

That answer did not really help me since I was hoping for something more definite. I need someone to guide me because I don't know what I really want. Should I just wait it out until Fairy Tail decides to reunite? What if that never happens? What am I suppose to be doing now? Train? Jobs? Anything else?

"I... just want to keep moving forward," I sighed out. I didn't mean it in a sense of forgetting Fairy Tail and leaving it behind. But no good will come out of it if I just mope around about its disbandment. There is no way for me to keep things as if Tartaros never happened, so the only thing I can do is make the most out of what has already happened. I should focus my time on getting stronger. I'm sure that is what everyone else is utilizing their time off with. There is no doubt that everyone will not allow Fairy Tail to die off like that. One day, we will all come together again, stronger. I shift my body over to let my legs fall over the side of the bed. Sting released his hold on me and leaned back against the wall. I looked over to him with a strong, serious look. "Teach me White Magic."

"Wait, what?" his eyebrow raised in confusion as he tried comprehending what I just requested him to do. He gave me a weird look but seeing the certainty in my eyes were enough to prove how I'm not joking around. Sting looked away with an unsure face. But after a few seconds, he focused his eyes on mine. "Are you sure about this? Is it even possible?"

"I don't see why not," I told him. I practically looked like a child asking her parent for a toy, only to argue back and forth with no sense of logic. I leaned closer in on his face, with a slight pout since I sensed the possibility of him saying no. "Mages are fully capable of learning more than one elemental type of Magic, even ones that oppose one another like yours and mine."

"I know, I know," he pushed my shoulders back a bit and sighed. "I'm just-"

"Just what?"

"Can I tell you something? Promise not to judge."

"... I promise...," I said with suspicion.

"Never mind, forget it. I'm not teaching you. After seeing what eating White Magic does to you, I don't want you learning that stuff and find out the hard way that it is something toxic for you."

"Don't be crazy," I said as I got up from the bed. I turned around to look at him with my hands on my hips. "I only got sick because I consumed your Magic. I get that we're natural opposites but-"

"Are you just using me for my Magic?" he blatantly said out of no where, cutting me off from my sentence. The question he asked was so profound that I was taken back by it. It isn't like I physically sought out the Sting Eucliffe, the famous White Dragon Slayer to seduce him as my partner and trick him into teaching me White Magic for the sake of whatever purpose I had? I was left speechless for a moment because I didn't know what to say. Sting looked disappointed as he probably interpreted my silence as me thinking of an excuse. He sat on the side of the bed with his body leaned forward and his elbows resting on his legs. His head looked down as he intertwined his fingers together. Not wanting him to feel unloved, I quickly moved in close to wrap my arms around his neck in an embrace. I held him as tight as I could to snap him out of whatever worst case scenario he was probably coming up with. I suddenly felt the coldness of his hands holding onto my wrists.

"I'm sorry," I immediately said in fear of him forcing me to stop hugging him. My heart was beating very hard, I'm sure he was able to feel it. "I'm sorry. I won't push it anymore. I didn't mean to make you feel less than what you are to me."

"Why does it feel so wrong to be with you?" he asked softly. The warmth of his breath trickled on my arm. Confused at his rhetorical question, I loosened up the hug for me to look at him. His facial expression was solemn and I didn't know what to say. Was the contrast of our Magic getting to him? I had these thoughts before too, but I took it as something good for the both of us rather than something bad. Sure we are complete opposites in our power, but is it really that bad? Perhaps he thinks that I am a Black Mage, therefore, I should stick with my Black Magic. Maybe I should focus on who I am rather than find ways to get away from it (even though I didn't choose to know Black Magic).

"Does it really bother you that much?" I asked him with a low tone voice and sat down next to him. I kept looking at him the whole time, but he has not moved from his position. He continued having that little serious and somewhat saddened look on his face.

"You know it scared the hell out of me when you ate my Magic," he admitted, picturing the scene in his mind so vividly. "And it terrifies me to think what could happen if you learn White Magic. What if you explode or something?"

"Thanks for your concern (_I think_). But I understand (_I think_) that you don't want me to explode," I said kinda sarcastically.

"So, it doesn't bother you how I have these stupid thoughts?"

"No, it surprises me more how you're so capable of such deep thoughts," with one comment, Sting was able to snap back to his usual carefree self again. His free spirit lifts up my mood. I don't mean to be mean to him all the time. I love teasing him in a humorous way cause it makes me smile. Bullying him is just an easy way to get him back into being playful. "What do you think I should do?"

"Just focus on you. You're a Black Magic user, so hone in on that so you would have a complete mastery over it."

"I wish I could feel the same way," I leaned over slightly and started staring at the ground. "I'm a living, breathing, walking taboo. A Black Mage... who uses Black Magic for good. Sounds like an oxymoron."

"You're technically a Black God Slayer, okay. Don't think of yourself as someone that shouldn't exist. You use Black Magic, but not for the sake of taking away lives, but to rid of those who do," he said sternly as he placed his hand over mine. His comment made me feel better secure about myself and I smiled to myself. "C'mon, let me take you somewhere."

Without a second to lose, the soft placement on his hand on mine quickly turned into a grasp. He grabbed my hand and instantly started to heard for the door, forcing me to come along with him or else he'd start dragging me. Simultaneously, he was getting himself dressed which almost looked hilarious if I wasn't demanding he tell me where he was taking me to. Despite how more rough I am on Sting, he was really more physically stronger than I was. If not, I would've taken myself out of his clutch and smack him. Though, once he was opening the door, I just gave up. But there was something blocking our way.

"... May I help you?" Sting asked with a suspicious look on his face. There were a group of men right outside of his door. They were all wearing the same uniform that the knights of the Kingdom of Fiore wear. I didn't know what the Fiore knights wanted with me and Sting kept me behind him as precaution. The group of knights looked serious, but unsure at the same time. They gave each other looks before giving Sting an answer.

"Clarion Ferez, you are under arrest," one knight said.

"Wait, what?" I called out in confusion. I moved in front of Sting to confront the situation. Having someone try to hide me would only make things look bad on my part. I'm no criminal (aside from being affiliated with Zeref and Grimoire Heart at one point... and... communicating with fugitives from Crime Sorciere...) and I should be able to take the accusation head on if I know I'm innocent of any crime. Sting didn't stop me, but he held onto my shoulders in a defensive manner. "For what crimes exactly?"

"Possession of Black Magic," he responded.

"Black Magic? Even so, I have the royal family's appro-" I quickly shut my mouth after remembering exactly what the King and Princess of Fiore said to me. It was true that they gave me their approval and I was pardoned for having Black Magic. However, the only condition was that I'd be in a legal guild. Fairy Tail has been disbanded and I am technically guildless. I couldn't weasel my way out of prison by giving my part in the war. I heard rumors that memories of that moment had been wiped out to avoid mistrust on the royal family. I felt stuck and I found myself stumbling on my words. I didn't want to go to jail for being a good person, but I didn't want to go against the law and go into hiding.

"Yes, the seal of approval is only recognized if you, Miss Ferez, is affiliated with a legal guild," the guard explained.

"What are you talking about?" Sting came into the conversation. His grip from the sides of my shoulder loosened up and his hands were now resting softly on top. "She is in affiliation with a legal guild. As Master of Sabertooth, I can confirm that Clarion is a part of my guild. Don''t worry, I have my eye on her."

"Sting-" I looked back at him only to be shushed from saying anything more. I looked back at the royal guards to see them consult one another. After a very brief deliberation, they looked back toward us and gave us a nod. Without another word they were on their way. It was confusing at first, but I assume that the royal family understood my condition. No one, not even the members themselves, were prepared or even aware that Fairy Tail would ever be broken up. Kind of a good thing that Sting just so happened to have become a Guild Master and cover my butt, however, I didn't want to feel like a burden. After the guards were out of sight, I muffled my face into his chest and called him an idiot.

"Sorry," he said as he held me close in his arms. "I didn't want to pressure you or anything about joining Sabertooth. Fairy Tail will always be the-"

"I know, idiot," I said to him. "But thanks."

"I'll be here for you in the mean time, okay?"

"You always are...," I said to myself hoping Sting didn't hear it. "So, where did you want to take me?"

"Something worth checking out," he simply said which annoyed me yet again. It's not that I don't like surprises, I just hate how I get so curious. Without further arguments, I just let Sting take me to wherever. We had to hop on a train to our destination, but I still couldn't tell where we were going based off of the direction we were heading in. I just kept staring outside the window looking at the things that go by. Sting was getting motion sickness out of his mind, but it was kind of amusing me so I did nothing to help (not that I could anyways). He just laid his head on my lap for most of the time being. I was afraid he'd make us miss our stop, but luckily he was conscious enough to remember where we get off of.

After walking for a bit, I started noticing something spiral-like in the distance. As we got closer and closer, I realized that it was a building: the Magical Library.

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><p><strong>Okay! Don't worry guys, this time it will be the long awaited OC arc! Let me know if there is anything you want to see happen during her arc or whatever else you guys have in mind. Thank you again for the patience and I am happy you have bore with me this entire time! I am very grateful to have many readers that enjoy this story! <strong>


	26. Chapter 26: Revelation

**Hello my loves! Thank you for sticking by me and reading on! I'll admit that I wished I could have made a longer chapter, but if I went onto another scene, the next chapter would take longer to come out T_T But anyways, thank you so much again for all the favorites, follows, reviews and everything you've done to help support! I hope you enjoy the read! Sorry, there's no action *cries***

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><p>After finally making it and entering the library, I felt like the needle in a haystack. Maybe dozens of haystacks. There were books, upon books, upon books, that I couldn't even see the ceiling, only an endless amount of knowledge and information. I could hardly believe that this place existed and how it was so desolated. There was no one here. Or if there were, they were on some other distant part of the place. I was so in awe at all of this I forgot to ask Sting why he brought me here of all places.<p>

"Anything you want to know about, let's find out," he said. It almost made me confused why he would do something like that for me. I appreciate the gesture, but I could not help but think why no one comes here for information. Everyone has something they don't know about, so why don't they just come here to find out? I either want to believe that it is impossible to find the right answer you're looking for because of the amount of words you have to go through or humanity is just lazy. I crossed my arms over my chest and gave Sting a weird look to see if he was serious. "Black Magic? Zeref? Devils? Maybe who your parents are?"

"I don't think I can find anything about Black Magic here. The only way for me to learn more about it would be from a Black Mage or something from the Books of Zeref," I took a sigh. "Where do I even start?"

"Whatever you find first?" he shrugs. "Well you've already figured out where your devils came from right? Are you interested in figuring out ways to see them again?"

"I'm not sure," I said my most honest answer. "With what happened to Lu- Mard Geer... I can assume that they are all books as well. Zeref has been known to combine concepts from Celestial Spirit Magic as what he did with the Eclipse Door and Devil Spirit Magic... so I'm not sure if I have anything to follow up on that."

"I see, well... I guess we're just left with history."

My eyes could not wander anywhere without getting a glimpse of book titles. I guess I can't just stand around doing nothing. Sting made the effort and had the throught of bringing me here to find some answers. I suppose I can start with either finding history about Zeref or Fairy Tail. I figure that a place like this must have a directory somewhere, so whatever direction it takes me first is whatever I'll search my answers for. The amount of books though started to make me feel overwhelmed that I almost went crazy. Luckily the library was neat and organized (surprising for a library that seems like there is no employees) and it was easy to just utilize a lacrima-powered search engine to find the locations of the topics I'm interested in.

"The history of guilds are located in the east wing... and... the history of Zeref is at the west. We're already in the west wing, so I guess we can start from there...," I said to myself out loud. I wasn't sure if Sting was listening to me or not, but when I looked away from the lacrima screen the young guild Master seemed already on finding things about Zeref. I followed up a set of ladders to join him in the search. But as I looked at the wall of books, there was nothing else but of things about Zeref. However, most of these were either manifestos by followers or biased novels about him. I threw on a pair of gale-force reading glasses (courtesy by the library thankfully) while going through whatever I can get my hands on. Despite how these were things I wasn't looking for, maybe I can learn something new about Zeref or at least the mindset of his followers. What exactly made people worship him?

But about an hour later, I was getting sick of reading personal experiences of people affected by Zeref, "good" and "bad," that I needed a well-earned break. I felt bad for Sting. I feel grateful having this guy do all of this for me, but if I feel like I'm wasting his time being here. Perhaps it's time to look elsewhere. Or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place?

Where was Zeref from exactly? I need a biography, but I'm not sure if there is something like that in here. But after like the whatever hundred book I pulled off from the bunch, I noticed that there was a small pamplet with its cover faced out. It was kept hidden from sight unless you pull off the books that were in front of it. It was small in length, about ten pages, and tattered and looks quite old. There was a lot of dirt around it as if someone just buried it and stuck it into a bookcase (seriously, who runs this place?). Without the gale-force reading glasses, I flipped through the pages and it looked like a little year book.

"Mildian Magic Academy...," I read the title. I was curious to why something like this would be associated with the almighty Black God Zeref. It talked about the history of this Magic school, various milestones, notable students, curriculum, blah, blah, blah. I skipped to the last page to see a group photo of the last class. I was about to just put the little booklet back into the case until I took a last glance at a student who stood at the far right who looked exactly like Zeref. But that's all she wrote. I tried looking up Mildia, but there was nothing other than that it was a town which no longer existed. I grew frustrated at hitting a dead end when I finally got a lead. But as figured, with centuries worth of time passing, bits of history were bound to be a lost or misinterpreted... like playing a long game of telephone.

"Well, I got nothing. Any luck on your side?" Sting said, sliding down from a tall ladder to my level.

"I don't think I can find anything here," I told him. He had a apologetic look on his face, but I assured him that he wasn't at fault for anything. "I'm afraid that I actually need to find volumes from the Books of Zeref to find information..."

Sting did not respond, but seemed disappointed. Without another word, he started walking off and I followed him a short distance behind. I did not get a vibe that he was in any way angry. But I guess he was in deep thought. Maybe about what to do next or how on Earthland will we track down one of those books. There was a lot of options for us, but as well as many obstacles. Sting was being too quiet for too long that I started getting bothered and worried. He was sitting casually against the seat in the train. He body was leaned back while he rested his arms across the top of the seats like an arm rest. I sat right next to him, but he was just looking at the window. I didn't feel like saying a word, but I did want his attention to make sure he was okay. I rested my head on his shoulder to see if he would turn over. He didn't exactly turned his eyes over to me, but his arm curled up to hold me. I finally just chose to give in and say something.

"Stupid Sting...," like I had any other idea of what to say. I could see the edge of lips curve into a smirk.

"Sorry," he looked over and apologized. "Were you worried about me~?"

The sudden mood change from a soft-toned Sting Eucliffe to... just Sting. I immediately blushed a bit and brushed him off. I don't know what is it that makes me feel shy and embarrassed whenever he does that to me. I guess its him just being flirty, but I'm still not someone who's use to that kind of stuff. He understood this as well and never took it as an insult whenever I just respond with a pout. He laughed out loud (good thing we were the only ones on the train) and hugged me around my neck.

"Seriously though, I didn''t mean to worry you," he whispered in my ear. "I was just thinking about how I could help you."

"You've done more than I could ever ask for," I reassured him. "Something will come up eventually."

_**All my questions will be answered one day, right?**_

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><p>Arriving upon the building of Sabertooth, I was ready to just wind down. Despite how the Sun was still up and out, I felt like my day was already over and I just wanted to relax. But as I walked through the entrance doors along with the Master by my side, I forgot how lively the guild was. Immediately there were many, many members happy to greet whoever was returning, almost in a celebratory way.<p>

"Hey, the Master is back!"

"Welcome back, Sting!"

"Ooo, and Claire-chan too~!"

"Clarion is here?"

"Alright! Alright, calm down guys," Sting called out. Members of Sabertooth were instantly obedient as they quickly quieted down from all the welcoming. It was an interesting sight to see Sting be in control of things. The inside of their guild building looked slightly different from the last time I was around here. Come to think of it, I believe the last time I was inside here was right after being released from the frozen stasis caused by the Fairy Sphere. Remembering this, I looked down at my forearm where I originally had my guild mark. As I thought, it had disappeared when I didn't even notice. It would be silly of me to think I could keep a Fairy Glitter mark when its Magic is exclusive to a guild that no longer exists on paper. Perhaps the trickling disappearance of the bonds we had is what caused the mark to disappear as well. It made me sad to think about this as it was starting to hit me that the guild was no more, and everyone had no foundation for us to stick together. I snapped out of my train of thought when Sting began announcing to his guild. "I don't know if you guys have heard the news, but Fairy Tail had been disbanded."

The sudden mumbles and looks of shock was evident that the news had not traveled too far. But I did see some unphased faces that I suppose that some knew and some didn't.

"Since Clarion has no where else to go, we will be the ones to take her in. Understand?" without any doubt, the members of Sabertooth happily took me in as one of their own. Sting took a few steps to get closer to me and whisper something in my ear. "It is definitely not the end for Fairy Tail. When the time comes, you have to return to it."

"I know you idiot."

I was immediately swamped with greetings from individual members of Sabertooth welcoming me in as their own nakama. I felt so blessed to be able to have this sort of treatment from a guild outside of Fairy Tail. I could only hope that the others have found their own sense of home for the time being. Sting had already told me he was happy to welcome anyone from Fairy Tail in, but no one has shown up to request it. I suppose there are other places to find jobs and hospitality from. Looking past faces and smiles, I noticed an oh so familiar Celestial Spirit Mage trying to blend into the backgrounds of the crowd. I let my arms out to signal to her to come up and give me a nice warm hug. With just a smile, Yukino comfortably accepted my gesture.

"I am happy to see you again, Clarion-sama," Yukino said with a shy face and soft voice.

"What did I tell you about the formality, Yuki-chan?" I poked fun at her.

It felt very warm here, exactly what I needed from all the things happening right now. I really felt like I couldn't get a break at all. Ever since the extermination mission on Tenrou Island, now that I think about it, I have always been hit with something so stressful. Despite the agony of Fairy Tail disbanding when I was still fresh into it, at least now, I have some breathing time. But who knows how long this will be. Well, whatever happens, I'm sure the one person to start bringing everyone together again is Natsu. In his letter, it read that he will be gone training for about a year. I suppose a year is the minimum amount of time I have to get stronger as well. But under my circumstance, I have to get creative. I couldn't sleep that night. I was stuck staring at the ceiling (hearing Sting's snoring) thinking about my options. I could either go on a personal mission to find information about the Books of Zeref, infiltrate a Dark Guild, or seek out a middle man. Without any foundation, logically, I cannot just go on some journey without a plan. Tartaros, Grimoire Heart, and Oracion Seis were the top Dark Guilds that are now completely defeated which brought down much of the Dark Guild system. Which brought Crime Sorciere to my attention.

But before I could think more about it, an idiot Dragon rolled over on the bed and took up most of the blanket. On top of that, his Exceed tuxedo cat had his tail wiggling all over my face in his sleep. I should probably relax a bit before potentially getting myself into more deep shit.

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><p>After a few days of settling in, I sort of felt weird. Like it felt weird not having to be involved with something important or big. Nothing exciting was happening and I was getting... pretty bored. I wanted to do something productive. Well, if I'm starting to feel this way about how the week is going so far, I might as well start something myself.<p>

"Heading somewhere already?" Sting asked as he saw me pack a few things in my bag. "Will you be out for long?"

"It should just be for a few days. If I find myself being out longer, I'll let you know," I told him as I was zipping up everything I needed for my planned trip. "I think it's time I go see "uncle" and have a chat with him."

"Uncle?"

"Ishgar God, Warrod Sequen," I looked at Sting will a proud smile. "The last surviving founding member of Fairy Tail."

The look on his face was priceless as he was surprised at the past identity of one of the strongest Mages in Fiore was. Nonetheless, he had no issues with me travelling on my own. Without anymore conversation, I said my goodbyes and only hoped for a safe trip. I didn't write any letter or anything to let Uncle know I'd be visiting him, so there is a chance that I might be wasting my time if he is not at his home for whatever reason. He did say that he would often travel to deserts to use his Magic for the purpose of reviving forests. I started to have my doubts the closer I got to my destination, if anything, perhaps he would not mind if I casually looked around his home for any information.

Upon my arrival, my doubts turned out to be true as there was no tree man around to greet me. I walked around the area to see if Uncle was around the area, but his presence was no where to be found. I tried waiting for him for about an hour to see if he was just out on an errand, but my patience had ran out. I looked through a window into his home, but of course, there was no one inside I could see. I tried fiddling with the door knob, but it was locked as suspected. I went back to the window again and realized that there were plants all over the place. Warrod did say that plants love hearing the voice of humans, maybe talking to them would... make something happen?

"Hello...," I felt sort of dumb. I knocked on the glass a few times. "It's... Clarion. I'm part of Fairy Tail. I'm related to Mavis Vermillion, the founder of the guild along with Warrod. Um... I came here to find some answers about myself... and to see if Uncle knew anything about-"

_Click._

The sound of a door unlocking surprised me for a moment, but I didn't want to believe it. But just to check, I walked over to the door and slowly turned the knob to realize that it really has been unlocked. Slowly, I opened it slightly forward and took a few steps in. I peeked through to see one of the vines from a plant was retracted back to its pot. I was a bit scared of seeing a plant move like that without any outside force, but I was grateful. I bowed my head to it in thankfulness and I closed the door behind me. I let out a large sigh as I felt somewhat strange doing this. Despite being let in by a plant which I'm sure wouldn't just open the door for anyone, I still felt I was violating Uncle's privacy and home.

"H-Hey...," I spoke to the plant again. "I'm sorry if being here is... wrong. I'm not here to hurt Warrod in any way, but I just wanted some answers or anything that would help me learn more about myself."

The same vine started growing out again and it grew past me. I followed it behind me to a bunch of bookshelves that Uncle had neatly organized. The vine then started moving up to a specific book. I thanked it as I went on my toes to stretch my body enough to reach it. I grabbed it and looked at the cover to see that it was a photo album. I wondered what seeing the early days of Fairy Tail would tell me. It felt very warm seeing Fairy Tail in its young days. It was interesting to see everyone in their youth, especially Hades. He still had his eye patch even after so long, wonder what happened. A lot of the content inside the album were photos of the founding members and various mementos. But after flipping through page after page, I noticed something peculiar, especially with the images of Mavis-dono. I had to flip back to the first page to confirm my suspicions and it was true. I kept going through the rest of the pages until I made it to the end with a dumbfounded face.

"It seems that you have learned something you shouldn't know," the voice of an elderly man made me skip a beat and quickly close the album. I had shivers running up my spine as I was terrified to look over to my side to see the face of the Ishgar God. "Just kidding."

That cue immediately made me let out the breath I was holding in and took a deep sigh. I looked over to properly greet Warrod, but he did not seem to look mad or anything. His eyes were closed and had a soft smile, like a normal old man (if you can call him normal). He did not seem phased at all by my presence or surprised how his plants assisted me with entering his home and finding something worth finding out about.

"U-Uncle... I-" I tried apologizing. I bowed my head forward and held the album behind me.

"It's fine, Clarion," he reassured me and prompt me to lift my head. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

"W-What happened...? Why would you lie...?" I shuttered while asking. I continued holding his book of memories and shook a few times just holding it. I held it out again and turned it to the last page. I had to see it another time. I didn't want to believe what I noticed. "Why..."

Warrod only sighed. Shortly after, he gestured me to follow him. He guided me outside of his home and to the outdoor seating arrange we had sat at during our first meeting. I sat down quietly while placing the album on the center of the table. Opening it to the first page where it had their iconic founding picture of Fairy Tail's birth.

"Precht, Yury, and I were a team of treasure hunters before meeting Mavis," he explained as he pointed at Precht (Hades), Yury (Makarov's father), and himself in his youth. He proceeded to point at Mavis-dono in the picture. "We met Mavis on Tenrou Island when looking for its prized treasure, the Tenrou Jade which happened to be missing. With our desires intertwined, we became allies in retrieving the stolen artifact."

I watched his wrinkly old hands flip the page over where it was a picture of a church. I recognized it as Magnolia Town's Kardia Cathedral. When he began to tell his story again, I looked back up at him.

"During this time was when we all learned Magic," he paused for a moment. I did not expect him to follow up on anything about that statement. I mean, everyone learns Magic at some point duh. "By a man known as the the "Black Mage" Zeref."

I was stunned and left speechless. I always wondered how a once evil Mage got involved with someone like Fairy Tail's First Master. Even a century ago, Zeref was a very big and prominent figure. However, it is very likely that young people have no interest in history.

"Even though we all had grown close to Mavis, Yury still had his thirst for treasure. Instead of giving up on the Tenrou Jade, he still had his intent on stealing it. When he finally had his hands on it, Yury ended up getting absorbed by the evil Magic that the Tenrou Jade and turned into a monster that threatened to destroy Magnolia."

"Then what?" I responded.

"Mavis was the kind of person that would sacrifice anything to protect her friends. She pleaded with the Black Mage to teach her such kind of spell which you now know as one of Fairy Tail's great Magic, Fairy Law. However, it takes ten years to be able to cast it completely. Mavis felt she had no other choice, but to try casting it despite the risks. Fortunately for everyone, the spell was successful in restoring Yury to his human self. But-"

"But the consequence of doing so caused Mavis-dono to stop aging," I presumed the end of the story to the affirmation of Warrod. Gathering up all my thoughts, I tried making sense of the truth I've been told. Trashing away what I thought I knew, I was struggling to accept how I was led on to believe something that was not true. This feeling felt like deja vu, like when travelling with Zeref in my younger years. He never disclosed to me that he was teaching me to be a Black God Slayer, or his relationship to Mavis. Even then, this story does not answer many questions. It just caused me to have more questions. "Uncle... how was I even created... did I even have a mother...? Am I even human...?"

"Now child... don't doubt yourself that low," he tried comforting me from worrying too much. If my suspicions became snowballing, who knows how my mental state would end up at. "But unfortunately, I do not have any more answers. The only people I assume would know would be Mavis herself, and Zeref."

"Living Magic...," I reminded myself what Zeref was capable of. "If Zeref can give birth to demons... then would he be able to give birth to human beings?"

"I would not know."

Zeref very much admitted that he loves Mavis-dono. It could be romantically or in admiration and gratitude, but there must be a connection with his Living Magic. If my speculations are in the right track, he must have either resurrected her when she passed away or managed to clone her, creating a Mavis Vermillion who can very much age into her adult years. But theories are all I can come up with at this point. I grew frustrated at hitting, yet again, another wall. I let out a big sigh and gave Warrod my thanks. I could tell he was very concerned for me, especially since I could do very rash things due to being blinded by curiosity. He will always have my gratitude, but now, I have to move on to something else to move forward. I felt much better about learning more about myself. Before, I really had no connections to find my way toward the answers I've wanted. But after all I've been through, I feel like I can really do this. In time, I can probably figure out who I am. After that, I would probably find some purpose in my life rather than just mindlessly walking the Earthland doing nothing. Not wanting to seem like I'm ungrateful, I decided to hang around with the Fairy Tail founder and perhaps talk more about different subjects not related to myself. And to show more of my appreciation for coming out with the truth, I offered to help him with some chores around the house.

"Have you heard about Fairy Tail, Uncle?" I popped the question. I was at one side of the room, watering plants and what not, while Warrod was on the other side doing the same thing. He had his back turned toward me and did not seem like it was necessary to turn around to answer.

"Yes I have. With Tartaros assassinating the Magic Council board, the Ten Wizard Saints have been asked to act as the new council. So, I have much more knowledge of all guild events that happen around here. I was very much upset at the conclusion, but I am sure your Guild Master had a good reason to."

"Should I be... trying to find that reason?" I said as I started questioning my own motives. Sure I have some personal business I want to take care of, but above all, I should be concerned about my guild. I felt even more guilty as I looked down at my forearm which was now replaced with a dark green Sabertooth mark.

"No," Warrod's quick answer somewhat confused me for a moment. "Disbanding the guild just for the members to seek out the answer is not the reason why Makarov would do such a thing. Remember that he thought of his guild as children, and what good parent wants nothing but to protect his loved ones? Whatever he intended on happening because of the disbandment, it was to protect you all. So for now, use this time to illuminate what you have been left out in the dark with. And perhaps, everything will fall into place."

Hopefully.

* * *

><p>"So you were lied to about parents?" Sting asked as we were both lounging around at his place after I returned from my confrontation with the Ishgar God. It was pretty late right now, but we were both not sleepy. The night was not really young enough for us to do anything but just talk and have a nice conversation. "That sucks."<p>

"Idiot, I did have... some sort of parents, I think...," I paused to rub my eye as an excuse to make my thoughts come together. "It's just that... I'm not directly blood related to Mavis-dono. So I just have to figure out how I was brought up."

"Right... you said you were saved by Zeref after a demon attacked your town. You remember having a set of parents, but you can't recall anything about them."

"Yeah, so whoever my 'mother' was would probably answer that..."

"How will you figure that out?"

"To be honest, I have no idea... but seeing Uncle did give me a lot of information. So I was thinking to seek out people in particular who might know something."

"Yeah? Who do you have in mind?" he nudged my shoulder.

"Who else but Crime Sorciere?"

With a guild which specializes with eradicating Dark Guilds and Zeref, I have no doubt that they will know something. If not, they would at least be able to point toward maybe an organization who specifically worships the Black Mage. Maybe with that lead, I can learn some stuff about Black Magic and branch out my capabilities as a Black God Slayer. I felt good right now, but I had no idea how to contact them to get me started. They were the ones who arranged the meeting we had prior to the Grand Magic Games. I don't believe that they have any stationary headquarters, so locating a mobile guild would be challenging.

* * *

><p><strong>And thank you for reading! I'm sorry that it's a shorter chapter than what I'd like poop. But since there is 6-month gap between the story and when Avatar comes into the scene, I can squeeze in some things for my OC to run around doing mindlessly. I hope they don't seem like fillers. Remember you can always review or message me if there is something you'd like to see and know! Thank you again for everything! Until the next chapter, have a fun summer xD<strong>


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